Earlier this year, I was asked to join a panel of authors to discuss exploring stories beyond our national boundaries and why we chose to write about times and places far from Australasia.
I’d never really navel-gazed about my predilection for twelfth century Europe. To me, it just was. When I wrote about Venice, Lyon or Constantinople, bells rang – sounds ranging from soft tintinnabulation to reverberating tocsins, and that was all that was required.
Once upon a time there was a man called Robin Hood.
He’s been well publicised through the years, through books, TV and film (God forbid on film!).
Even I have mentioned him The Gisborne Saga. (I, II, III) – except that he was only a minor character to my Guy of Gisborne.
Anyway, to continue…
(Note: this post contains spoilers of The Gisborne Saga.)
Most of my reviews are excellent, between 4.5 and 5 stars, but recently a reviewer remarked of Gisborne: Book of Kings that the ending was twee. She still gave me a high star ranking for which I am very grateful, but I’m guessing she didn’t like the way in which the story was resolved…
I was asked by historical fiction writer Ann Swinfen to be part of a Writing Process Blog Tour this week. Ann is a superbly elegant writer of literary and historical fiction. Formally a mainstream writer, she has now taken her backlist to the writing public independently and added to it with Flood, a stunning book on the politics of humanity in the 17th century Fens and with The Testament of Mariam which is a sensitively handled novel, poignant and crafted, about Jesus’s sister. You can read about Ann’s writing process here. http://www.annswinfen.com/column
Now here’s an idea and I would love comments from all Armitage fans…
Angus Donald‘s fabulous series, The Outlaw Chronicles, has been optioned in the States for a film or TV series. If you haven’t read the books yet then run don’t walk, people, they are fab!!!
It’s tough being cast as a baddy. It’s what happened to Guy of Gisborne when Robin Hood rose to his (questionable) prominence.
Seriously, how can someone who robbed and killed people because they happened to be wealthy be considered a hero? By the fact that he gave the cash to the poor?
So often people ask why I’ve written a saga about Guy of Gisborne and not Robin Hood, Arthur, Abelard, Tristan or any of the many others from legend and history. So perhaps I need to place it more fully in black and white.
It seems odd to have a Red Chair feature so soon after that brilliant last, but I could not ignore the chance of talking to a favourite and highly successful author as he prepares to release his new book.
Why the fascination with the Middle Ages?
It’s a question I was asked today and it’s something I’ve wondered about as well.
I think it began in secondary school. I fell in love with historical fiction the minute I had my own library card. At the same time, the beginning of the 60’s, TV had just begun in Australia and so I was beguiled by the black and white historical cinema of the time. I’ve just found a copious list of 300 movies online www.erasofelegance.com/entertainment/medievalmovies.html and went through to find the ones I remembered from my youth:
Guy of Gisborne (Tiger Aspect Productions/BBC)
Twelfth century England – a time when status means power.
Guy of Gisborne – a man of disturbing secrets and subtle skills.
