Hindsight
Hindsight is the journal of the Northamptonshire Heritage Forum and is published annually in the Spring of each year. Its aim is to provide you, as a member or non-member, an opportunity to have your latest research published on the history and heritage of Northamptonshire. We particularly look for examples of research on historic buildings or landscapes, museums, people, events, collections and artefacts.
Would you like to contribute to the next issue?
Articles for inclusion should be approximately 1,000 words long. They should be sent to the editor by the first week in December each year for the following year’s edition. Illustrations should be sent as separate, high-resolution (300dpi) jpgs.
Hints and tips to make your writing sparkle
A strong hook
Catch the readers’ attention right from the start with a short opening line, an interesting fact, a quote or a question that pulls them into your article.
Know your audience
Think carefully about who the readers of Hindsight might be. Tailor your writing style, tone, language and content to what your audience will find most engaging and relevant.
Organise your thoughts
Outline your main points before you start writing, and keep the article focused and flowing smoothly from one idea to the next.
Easy to read is easily read:
Always aim for clarity in your writing:
Don’t over-complicate
Make sure sentences are not over-long or too complex
Keep paragraphs short and simple, grouping similar ideas together
Examples and anecdotes
Personal stories and relatable scenarios will help bring your points to life.
Images
Two or three carefully selected images can make your article more visually appealing and engaging. High resolution images with brief captions should be submitted as separate files (.jpg) with their sources clearly stated.
Please note that most images will be printed in black and white in Hindsight, as opposed to colour on the website and in the booklet.
Sources
Always use original sources for the information you include in your article. These might be historical documents, first person experiences that you have recorded or your own research.
Avoid using Wikipedia as a source as the information cannot be relied on to be accurate.
All your sources should be acknowledged and listed as ‘endnotes’. This is very important. Look at the current issue of Hindsight to check how to do this.
Avoid plagiarism
This is the unacceptable practice of taking someone else’s work, research or ideas and passing them off as your own. You should avoid this at all costs.
Details
Pay attention to important details in your writing:
When referring to historical figures, events or battles please provide accurate and relevant dates
WWI and WWII should be written as: First World War and Second World War
Use single inverted commas for quotations and double inverted commas for conversation
Avoid using too many quotations
Avoid everyday abbreviations, jargon and slang
Write numbers one to ten in words and numbers 11 onwards in figures
Use numbers for money and measurements
Give metric equivalents as appropriate
Write dates as: 4 July 2025
Write centuries as: 19th century
Write book titles and newspaper names in Italic type: Northampton Chronicle & Echo; The Times, etc
Edit and revise
Don’t settle for your first draft.
Reading your work aloud will help identify awkward phrases and sentences, grammatical errors and spelling mistakes.
Check that the article flows and that sentences and paragraphs are linked and in the right order.
If there is a chronology, make sure it is understandable.
Check the word count so that this is about 1000 words although you may also submit shorter pieces for consideration.
It’s also a good idea to ask a friend or colleague to check your article before you submit it.
Conclusion
Make sure your article concludes by reminding the reader why it was written in the first place - but without repeating it.
Check all the hints and tips again and, before submitting your article for consideration, make sure it is carefully polished like any work of art!
The editor is always happy to answer any questions that you might have.
Finally, enjoy writing your article and those receiving Hindsight will enjoy reading it!
Meet the editor
Hindsight editor, Sue Moss
Sue is a former University and College Lecturer in English Literature and History but with teaching experience in other subjects. She is now involved in historical research and writes for various journals.
Born in Northampton, Sue has lived in the conservation village of Weston Favell for many years and takes an active role in village organisations and events.
Sue began her career in Town and Country Planning, working on conservation and heritage projects. However, she also became involved in writing copy for county-wide exhibitions designed to engage the public in the consultation process for the development of new town plans.
Her love of writing came to the fore again when she worked for Northampton Development Corporation and was asked to prepare copy for promotional literature and articles on the history of the town. This led to a full-time role for several years as a Copywriter and Editor of a prestigious house journal.
After reading for a BA Hons in English, History and Theatre, followed by an MA in Modern English Studies, Sue was offered a post as a Lecturer in English, firstly at the University of Northampton and then at Northampton College where she also taught Creative Writing and Journalism for nearly 20 years.
More recently, Sue read Architectural History and English Local History at the University of Oxford, following which she was invited to write articles and review books for a number of journals including The Local Historian. She now publishes widely on rural and urban settlement and building history. She is also currently in the process of completing a further degree in Archaeology at Oxford with a particular focus on the medieval period.
Sue enjoys going to the theatre, participating in Open Studios, line dancing and travelling. She also gives talks on the History of Art to local groups.