Hi again from Australia. Thanks once more for your interest in my short publication on theories regarding the origin of the idea of ‘Arthur’. Thanks too for your advice here to writers. Very sensible and useful.
This note though is to say that I was still thinking of your ‘Last Kingdom’ books when recently reading Alistair Moffat’s book ‘The Sea Kingdoms’ (pub 2011). Moffat (ex-BBC presenter) you may know from his book ‘Arthur and the Lost Kingdoms’. I’ve always liked his emotive style and non-academic approach. ‘The Sea Kingdoms’ is a bit of a grab bag on things ‘Celtic’ but what a tale there is within it about the Celto-Norse and Hiberno-Norse world of the Orkneys, Shetlands and Western Isles, down to Dublin and the Isle of Man: coastal kingdoms formed over sea lanes not land. An obvious geography of power, confirming what I had myself concluded re this whole region. Moffat’s book illustrates how over the centuries this sea kingdom area has thrown up some compelling characters (how about an amazing Queen called Aud,The Deep Thinker?), whom I’m sure you could do much with. Perhaps another TV series could be the eventual outcome? A series of books on these Dark Age kingdoms and their kings, the original historical Lords of the Isles, would doubtless have a ready audience of people attracted to and bloodied in the Dark Age warrior world evoked so well by Uhtred. For the Lords of the Isles, this period continued on well into mediaeval times. Romantic, brutal, passionate, questing, cruel, fierce and fascinating real histories, peopled by men who fought their way to power and women who stood strong for them and for themselves too. The Christian-Pagan tension in these tales is also very evident.
Anyway, just a thought. Wondered if you’d read that book.
best,
Lizzie B.