In 1579, in the middle of his circumnavigation voyage, Francis Drake raided a Spanish ship off the Pacific coast of Guatemala. From this ship, he took supplies, treasure and other valuables, and also a “wench called Maria, which was afterward gotten with child between the captain and his men pirates and set on a small island to take her adventures...” But who was Maria? Where had she come from and what happened to her after she was abandoned?

Nikki Marmery's novel 'On Wilder Seas', sets out to answer these questions. It tells the story of Maria’s life, putting her centre-stage for the first time, and shines a new light on Drake’s famous voyage.

In this podcast episode, Nikki Marmery talks about the inspirations for her novel, outlines the sources she's used to uncover the truth about Maria, and discusses the blurred line between the facts and fictions of Drake’s circumnavigation voyage. 

In a previous life, Nikki worked as a financial journalist, editing magazines about credit and foreign exchange trading. She now writes historical fiction from a rural village in Buckinghamshire. 'On Wilder Seas' is her first novel, inspired by the true story of Maria, the woman who sailed on The Golden Hinde with Sir Francis Drake during his circumnavigation voyage. Earlier drafts were shortlisted for the Myriad Editions First Drafts Competition 2017 and the Historical Novel Society’s New Novel Award 2018. Find Nikki at www.nikkimarmery.com on Twitter @nikkimarmery and Instagram @marmerynikki.