Last week while I was enjoying a fine lunch arranged by the good folk at Penguin to celebrate the publication of ‘Ruso and the Root of All Evils’, it dawned on me that it would be nice to share the fun.
Leftover lunch didn’t seem like much of an offer, and I wondered if anyone would like the chance of a free book instead. So… signed copies will go to the first two readers whose names come out of the hat and who have correctly answered the not-terribly- taxing questions below.
You don’t need to have read the book yet (that would be pointless, really, wouldn’t it?). All the answers are in the research photos you can find either here on the blog or, for a closer look, under the Photos tab on the Ruso and Tilla Facebook page.
I. Which emperor is the gate named after?
II. Where is the amphitheatre that features in the story?
III. What is the name of the gladiator on the tombstone?
Answers via the box below*, please, by the end of Wednesday 12 May.
(Anyone anywhere is welcome to enter. Winners in the US or Canada will get the American edition, ‘Persona non Grata’, so you won’t have to wince at the spellings.)
*13 May – now removed – it’s too late!
Ruth Downie 
Thanks, but I’ve already bought the book! I look forward to reading it when I can find time…
As for wincing at the spellings, I don’t find it difficult to read American spellings and I don’t see why Americans should have any difficulty in reading correct English spellings. Do American books get re-spelt for sale in Britain? Not that I’ve noticed. Bah, humbug. Let them eat cake…
Good grief, that was a quick reply!
In response to Jonathan, I purchase English books with English spellings and read them easily as do my daughters and my friends. I have no idea why publishers change the spellings for us.
Good for you, Carol! Well said.
It occurs to me that anyone who has difficulty with a few minor differences in spelling must find Shakespeare, for instance, completely unintelligible.
The occasional semantic differences (e.g. ‘corn’) between American and English are a slightly less trivial problem than the spelling. My preferred solution would be to explain rather than to substitute. A short glossary at the end could help the reader with any words whose meaning may be in doubt; and this could include foreign words (e.g. Latin) as well as English ones.
But unfortunately I suppose you’re ruled by your publisher on this.