CSE General Meeting

Wednesday 24 June 2026

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Helen Topor presents: Editing historical fiction

Join us for a talk from Helen Topor as she reflects on the process of writing and editing historical fiction. Helen wrote The Delft Muse to redress issues of misappropriation and the perpetuation of misogynistic stereotyping of three key women in Johannes Vermeer’s life – his patron, wife and mother-in-law. Choosing historical fiction set in seventeenth-century Delft as the means for doing so presented a host of challenges for Helen, a debut fiction author and self-editor. Working with a professional editor of the manuscript was instructive in more ways than one.

About Helen

Helen is a Canberra-based author, freelance editor and voluntary guide at the National Gallery of Australia.

Her publications include Outdoor Games for Today’s Kids (2017), Discovering Vermeer (2018) and Neither King Nor Saint (2022), which won a 2023 MARION ACT Award for Nonfiction.

Helen has mentored CSE members in freelance editing and editing memoir. In 2025 she completed The Delft Muse, a debut novel for which she is seeking an agent and publisher. For her writing, editing and proofreading services to the Guides newsletter News and Views, Helen was awarded an NGA Volunteer of the Year Award in 2025 for Outstanding Contributions as a Voluntary Guide.

Helen’s books are available on Amazon. She can be contacted on:

Email: helenvtopor@gmail.com

Website: www.helentopor.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/43677501.Helen_Topor