Matthew Ismail

Welcome! I’m Matthew Ismail, and I write historical fiction and scholarly history focusing on European and Middle Eastern History.

To me, scholarly research and fiction are both deeply creative endeavors fueled by a curiosity about human lives. Writing history is a puzzle—assembling fragments into a meaningful narrative. Fiction takes that same spark a step further, imagining the quiet spaces between the facts. Whether tracing an Egyptologist in Wallis Budge (2021), exploring music history in Blues Discovery (2014), or weaving a historical tale in Lord of Light (2023), I am simply trying to understand the people who came before us.

I now travel and write full-time. It’s a wonderful, nomadic life, balanced by daily yoga and meditation that keep me grounded, whether I set up my laptop in Kuala Lumpur or Tirana.

Thank you for reading!