When does a novel become a “historical” novel? You could make a case that most of Jonathan Coe’s novels are, although he and I were alive for some of the periods dealt with. I don’t buy the “outwith living memory” business: after all some people live “for a very long time” as Heaven 17 once had it… (Who?? Exactly!)
Besides, young people, despite what some would have you believe, read books too. It may surprise some to know that for them, your childhood, teens and – yes – the Britain when you got your first pay-packet (eh?) are ancient history. As remote as Armistice Day, in fact. This is what historical novels, films, TV and radio fiction can do, keep history alive.
It’s why research is important, whether you’re writing about mini-skirts and mopeds or Moffat and Murder.
You might think it’s strange to have an image from a factual TV programme to accompany this post, I couldn’t possibly comment. Its title comes from Macbeth: this is the quote in full
“All our yesterdays have lighted fools their way to dusty death”
Perhaps that’s the Swan of Avon’s way of pointing out “those who cannot learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them“, which may be a Santayana misquote.
I dropped history in the fourth form at Grammar School, so many years ago that it might qualify as a historical (non-)event. Not a lot of people know that.
*The answer is no. It isn’t.
Ewan Lawrie, Writer 