Q&A w/Mary SharrattIlluminations
Debbie - Mary Welcome back to theforum.
Will you tell us a little about the new novel “Illuminations”?
Mary - Illuminations reveals the dramatic story of Hildegard von Bingen(1098-1179) who was offered to the Church at the age of eight, walled up in ananchorage, and yet who triumphed against impossible odds to become the greatestvoice of her age—a Benedictine abbess, composer, polymath, and powerfrau.Guided by her revelations of the divine, she was truly a visionary in everysense of the word. Her courage and strength of character continue to inspirepeople of many diverse faith backgrounds.
During her own life time, Hildegard was the subject of muchcontroversy. She and her nuns were the subject of an interdict, or collectiveexcommunication, which was lifted only shortly before her death. She nearlydied an outcast, a plight hauntingly similar to that of the modern day sistersand nuns of the Leadership Council of Women Religious.
What is it that draws you to writehistorical fiction?
When I first started writing, I wantedto avoid the painfully autobiographical first novel, so I set my fiction in thedistant past. As Margaret Atwood has said, fiction writing is an escape for thewriter as well as the reader! And I also wanted my fiction to serve a higherpurpose—to write women back into history. My aim is to take women from themargins of history and set them center stage.
Are you still living in Pendle,England?
Yes, I still live in the beautifulPendle region.
Can you tell us a little about life in a small English village?
I actually live in a post-industrialtown of around 10,000 people. In its hey day, it had over 20 working cottonmills. This is very typical of East Lancashire—gritty, post industrial townssurrounded by beautiful countryside. My horse actually lives in a more idyllicand village like setting than I do!
Is it permanent?
Time will tell!
Do you write full time?
For the moment, I do. I also teachcreative writing.
Those who aren’t FaceBook friendsprobably don’t know about Boo.
Will you tell us about Boo?
Miss Boo, aka Boushka, aka QueenBoudicca, is a Welsh mare, very beautiful, very loving, and very opinionatedabout any number of subjects including plastic bags, gentleman horses, and thejoys of impersonating the Welsh Dragon while galloping up the woods. Sheacquired me over four years ago and is thus far pleased with me. We’ve had alot of fun together. Two years ago we did the Mary Towneley Loop, a longdistance bridleway ride of 50 miles which we completed in three days. Thebridleways took us over lots of old pack horse trails in the West Pennines. Igo to the stable yard every day to take care of her. It’s very Downtown Abbey.The horses are the lords and ladies while we humans are their faithful,hardworking servants.
Can you tell us what’s next for you?
I’m working on a new novel, The Dark Lady’s Masque, which exploresthe life of Aemilia Bassano Lanier (1569–1645) who was reportedly the Dark Ladyof Shakespeare’s sonnets. The highly cultured daughter of an Italian courtmusician, she was also an accomplished poet and the first English woman topublish a collection of poetry under her own name.
Let’s get a bit personal.
If you could vacation anywhere, where would it be?
This winter I’m traveling to Sri Lankawhich has long intrigued me. I love exploring cultural settings which are verydifferent from our Western world.
Mary, thank you for chatting with us.
And I’m so excited that you’ll be touring the US for the novel, and that thereis a Barnes & Noble location included.
For a full tour schedule click here.
My Review of "Illuminations"Illuminations
Mary Sharratt
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN13:9780547567846
288 pages
From the time she was a very small girl Hildegard sawvisions and those visions sealed her fate when at the age of eight her mothertithed her to the church. She along with Jutta von Sponheim a very devout yettroubled young woman who wished to be an anchorite were taken to the Monasteryat Disibondenberg where they were entombed in two small rooms adjacent to theMonastery. There they were to spend the rest of their lives in prayer,contemplation and worship. Hildegard never stopped having visions and neverstopped thirsting for the knowledge that was granted to her during her years ofimprisonment. Eventually she would be freed from her confinement and with thehelp of some influential and powerful allies, her visions and God, would go onto become a power in her own right.If there’s one thing I can count on from Mary Sharratt it’sto give me a powerful female protagonist whether she’s fictional or factual. Inthis case the very factual and just canonized in May of this year, St.Hildegard of Bingen is a commanding, dominant figure in a history that tends toforget the contributions made by women. And thanks to Mary’s imaginative andauthentic way of telling a story this brilliant, holy, humble and sometimesproud woman gets her life chronicled in a way that not only entertained buteducated me as I soaked up the fact and the fiction in equal measure. Shebrought this historical figure to life for me and although she uses terms andsome dialogue of the time it was never hard for me to get the jest and I lovedgoogling the terms I didn’t know and learning even more in the bargain. It’sespecially timely to have this novel out now when Hildegard just became a saintand just became an official Doctor of the Church. So come journey through timewith Hildegard as she grows from terrified child, to sibyl, to Nun, tocomposer, to physician, to abbess, learn the hardships and the joys of her lifeand times, broaden your own horizons and enjoy it while you do.
Mary to you I say thank you for this wonderful adventure and I can’t wait formy next journey through your eyes, your words and your wisdom.Buy the book here visit the author's website here
Mary with Boushka
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