There is a gigantic canvas for a historical
novelist to choose from.
I am Rosemary Morris, a multi-published historical
novelist. My novels are set in the reign of Charles II’s niece, Queen Anne
Stuart, who reigned from 1702 to 1714, and the ever popular Regency era. I have
also written a mediaeval novel set in in the reign of Edward II, which has been
accepted for publication.
I chose those periods because each of them
affected the course of history. If the Duke of Marlborough had not won The War of
Spanish Succession, and The Duke of Wellington had been defeated by Napoleon at
The Battle of Waterloo, the history of Britain and that of Europe would be
different. Defeat would also have had far-reaching consequences for the rest of
the world. If Edward II had won the Battle of Bannockburn, it is feasible that
he would have conquered Scotland and, perhaps, as it is claimed, he would not
have been murdered.
The more I read about my chosen eras the
more fascinated I become, and the more aware of the gulf between the past and
present. Those who lived in the past shared the same emotions as we do, but
their attitudes and way of life were in many ways very different to ours. One of
the most striking examples was the social position of women and children in in
bygone ages.
My
characters, are of their time, not men, women and children dressed in costume
who behave like 21st century people.
Research of my chosen eras sparks my
imagination. The seeds of my novels are sown, and from them sprout the
characters and events which will shape their lives.
I was born in Kent. As a child, when I was
not making up stories, my head was ‘always in a book.’
While working in a travel agency, I met my
Hindu husband. He encouraged me to continue my education at Westminster
College. In 1961 I and my husband, by
then a barrister, moved to his birthplace, Kenya, where I lived from 1961 until
1982. After an attempted coup d’état, four of my children lived with me in an
ashram in France.
Back in England, I wrote historical
fiction, joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association, The Historical Novel
Society, Watford Writers and on line groups, and am now published by Books We
Love Ltd
Apart from writing, I enjoy classical
Indian literature, reading, visiting places of historical interest, vegetarian
cooking, growing organic fruit, herbs and vegetables and creative crafts.
My bookshelves are so crammed with
historical non-fiction, which I use to research my novels, that if I buy a new
book I have to consider getting rid of one.
Time spent with my five children and their
families, most of whom live near me, is precious.
