After a gap of 2 (or 1600) years, depending on how you view it, the Romans were back in York last weekend. It was a joy to spend time with visitors, Romans, readers, writers and even the occasional barbarian. A few pics and possibly a snip of video will follow: What are you doing for … Continue reading Eboracum Roman Festival 2022
Big thanks to everyone who joined us yesterday evening! It was a privilege to be invited into your computer screens and I hope you enjoyed it. When I finally worked out how to read the comments, they were a delight. Hopefully nobody ran screaming from the room at the gory bits (unfortunately when you let … Continue reading Blades and Banter, the postscript
Looking forward to a Saturday evening chat with fellow "Roman" author Ben Kane on 23 January! We'll be safely Zooming from our own homes and I've been assured that despite the title, weapons won't be necessary. So instead of sharpening my nonexistent sword I've bought a new webcam, and it's worked! I no longer look … Continue reading Blades and Banter – in conversation with Ben Kane
Home from another fantastic Roman Festival in York, and huge thanks to everyone who made it possible - organisers, re-enactors, performers, fellow-scribes and of course to the many visitors, without whom we'd all have been very lonely. In previous years I've put up plenty of photos of men on the march, and they do look … Continue reading Eboracum 2019
To begin at the beginning...
Right. Line up, you lot. And get that hair cut! Half of you look like a bunch of girls!
The first half of June's looking pretty busy with a rush of events up and down the country at which I'll be showing off my now not-so-new Roman shoes. 1-4 June Heading north for the Eboracum Roman Festival in York - a spectacular event for all ages. I'll be in the Authors' Tent in the … Continue reading Have shoes, will travel
A visit to the island of Alderney has been on my bucket list ever since we saw our friends' holiday photos, so there was dancing and singing here at Downie Towers when an invitation to the Alderney Literary Festival arrived. Below are a few photos of my own, along with some random thoughts about the … Continue reading Small Island
"...because we're doing the best that we can." Margaret George, Historical Novel Society conference, 2016. I've never been to the Historical Novel Society conference before, but after last weekend I'm wondering why. It was splendid. If you want to read a well thought-out blog piece about it, there's one in the Times Literary Supplement. If … Continue reading “We have to hope that our characters will forgive us…”
Ruth Downie 