In this episode of 15 with Fosca, I speak with author Angela Sims, whose richly researched historical fiction brings Renaissance Florence vividly to life.

Angela’s path to writing began after long careers in clinical cardiology and higher education. What started as academic writing later became what she calls an “itch to write” — one that eventually led her to Florence, the Pazzi conspiracy, Savonarola, and the ordinary lives shaped by extraordinary historical events.

We talk about the delicate balance between fact and imagination in historical fiction, the responsibility writers have toward the past, and why Angela loves helping readers “learn something without being told they’re learning.” We also discuss her novels The Rose of Florence and Hiding the Flame, her use of food and recipes as a way into culture, and the importance of finding your writing tribe.

Angela also shares what it means to begin a creative life later, the permission women often need to give themselves, and her next project: a novel set around the 1966 Florence flood, with a parallel connection to the Aberfan disaster in Wales.

This week’s conversation is about Florence, reinvention, research, imposter syndrome, and the stories that keep calling us.

Biography

Angela is a writer (and reader) of “compelling and extensively-researched” historical fiction. Now retired, she spent her working life in the field of healthcare and higher education, having worked in clinical cardiology for almost thirty years and as a university lecturer for fifteen years. Outside of work, she has always had a keen interest in art and history, particularly the Italian Renaissance. This followed several visits to the beautiful city of Florence, where the seeds for her first book were sown.

The Rose of Florence bloomed and was published by Romaunce Books Ltd in 2023, and the second book, Hiding the Flame, was published in 2025.

On a personal level, Angela lives in Cardiff, Wales (UK) with her husband. They have two grown-up daughters and two beautiful grandchildren. At every opportunity, she enjoys travelling to Italy to eat, drink, read, and absorb the wonderful atmosphere. She likes to call this research!

Facebook: Angela M Sims – Author (@angelamsimsauthor)

Instagram: angelamsims1

Website: https://angelamsims.co.uk

The Rose of Florence:

https://amzn.eu/d/05GQ6zrf

Hiding the Flame:

https://amzn.eu/d/0fDIIeok

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Podcast Producer: Andrew Niklas Curtis

Production Intern: Nicole Stevens

Recording and post-production Lorenzo Maiani, Faminore Sound Agency