To err is human...

... (If I may quote a different Pope from the one in the news recently!)
Historical novelists who don't like to mess with history dread being caught out with a glaring error. So far, I've been pretty lucky that my books have passed muster for the most part. A musician friend pointed out that "base" was not the correct spelling for a string on a musical instrument in A ROSE FOR THE CROWN, and that as a former folksinger and guitarist, I should have known how to spell "bass." In the same book, a Richard III Society member (and they are a terrifyingly knowledgeable group to write for!) pointed out that I had the wrong bishopric for Lionel Woodville (I had it right the first time I mentioned him, I hastily add!). Happily, these were found early after publication and subsequent editions of the book were corrected.

But those slips were nothing compared with the one caught by the book reviewer in the latest edition of the US Richard III Society's magazine, Ricardian Register. The reviewer praised QUEEN BY RIGHT (published two years ago) for its retelling of Cecily of York's story, but was surprised that someone as meticulous with her research as I was had claimed Richard of Gloucester (Richard III) was born at Ludlow.

For crying out loud! EVERYONE knows that Richard was born at Fotheringhay--quite the other side of England. I cannot imagine how I came to write that, let alone read and re-read it in the editing process. It is as bad as saying Jesus of Nazareth was born in Jerusalem. Not that I am comparing Richard to Jesus--it's just a good example, because anyone as steeped in Ricardian history as I am knows the exact hour of his birth, what he ate for breakfast, what his favorite horse was called and most certainly where he was born and where he died.

So I am asking for readers' forgiveness as I try to piece together what my brain was doing on the day I wrote that sentence on Page 319. Please go right ahead and cross out Ludlow in the second paragraph of your book and write in Fotheringhay. Then I will feel better.

And I hope you will all be divine and forgive me!

Comments

Anonymous said…
The news is fantastic, and to those of us who have been following the news and study on Richard III it allows us to breathe a sigh of relief to know as you mentioned that he will now be buried correctly and with the respect due to him. Isn't it amazing how much we can learn constantly about our English History. We are so fortunate to have writers like yourself Anne, who do so much research and write such wonderful books that we get the opportunity to have the pleasure to read. Thank you for all your great work. Elizabeth G Fellows
March 15, 2013 at 9:24 PM
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