Bespoke Umbrellas and Repurposed Buildings:
On a wild and wintry night, our very own Carolyn O’Hara delivered her long-delayed and much-anticipated workshop on bringing the past to life. We were reminded that –
‘History is not a body of knowledge but a heap of materials which survive from the past’ (Economist, 2013)
before being encouraged to consider the benefits of delving into the past for our non-fiction writing. Limitless inspiration, a ready-made conclusion, and a rest for our overworked literary imaginations were all touted as benefits of writing in the genre.
One thing not in short supply were sources available for writers of historical non-fiction. Artefacts, photos, newspapers, obituaries, maps, letters, diaries, buildings, and adverts were all pointed out as sources of information and inspiration. Carolyn showed us some of her personal finds, including an obituary of her great grandfather, Captain James McGregor, who rose from cabin boy to commodore, and a handwritten note from Clementine Churchill thanking the local community for fundraising.
We were soon put to work like office clerks of old (but without the quill and inkwell). Carolyn gave us a 1796 newspaper advertisement for a salesman, who sold ‘a choice assortment of lutespring, oiled lawn, oiled silk lawn and calico’ umbrellas. We were asked to write a short piece using the advert as source material, and just as predicted the pieces were as varied as the vendor’s umbrellas. Maggie commented upon how the use of language has changed in advertisements through the centuries (it’s been a while since any sales floor has been described as ‘commodious’). Carrie discussed the loss of a mindset where people repaired items such as umbrellas rather than simply replacing them, whilst Laura explored the psychology of selling in the 18th century. So many different strands of thought stemming from one small, faded advertisement…
Next, Carolyn took us through the journey that one of her pieces – ‘Hot off the Press’ – had taken to publication. Inspired by a 1705 edition of the Edinburgh Courant newspaper, Carolyn’s historical sleuthing had prompted her to explore the old geography of Edinburgh, before exploring the city’s coffee houses.
We were given some tips for writing historical fiction including:
- Find a project you’re passionate about
- Cultivate contacts who can help you
- Research thoroughly
- Explore suitable publications for your work (don’t just send out pieces blind)
- Perfect your pitch for a piece of historical non-fiction
- Be prepared to have a degree of flexibility with regards to editing etc.
To finish, we were asked to write about a historical building from our own experience which had been successfully repurposed. We had a fascinating tour, juxtaposed between the past and the present, from strong-rooms in banks from the 1880s which were now bijou cocktail bars, to Adamton House, whose purpose had changed from facilitating the Jacobean renaissance to housing refugees, via hosting the US Air Force. We visited music venues of old, repurposed timber-clad houses in Salisbury, and the new and old Coventry Cathedrals.
Not bad for a rainy night in at the Mercure!
Matt Richardson