There is a
gigantic canvas for a historical novelist to choose from.
I am Rosemary
Morris, a best-selling historical novelist. My novels are set in the early 14th
century during the reign of Edward II, in that of Charles II’s niece, Queen
Anne Stuart, who reigned from 1702 to 1714, and the ever-popular Regency era.
I chose those
periods because each of them affected the course of history. world. If Edward
II had won the Battle of Bannockburn, it is feasible that he would have
conquered Scotland and, perhaps he would not have been deposed. Had the Duke of
Marlborough lost 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.
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.
My Website. www.rosemarymorris.co.uk
