Book Tour Part 2: Shieldwall at Bosham

The reason I wanted to go to Bosham is here:


and here -



Yes, the church (well, the arch) featured in the Bayeux Tapestry is still here, and the saxon tower remains, with only one floor of Norman addition. A fine beacon, no doubt, for the sailors who plied the mud flats. The church, and the fact that the manor house here, almost definitely sits on the site of the hall where Godwin and Harold spent a lot of their time.



It was very odd being somewhere, which I had already imagined and written about, and then visited. It was much flatter than I had imagined, and the tide made much more of a difference here: as it sped in over the mud flats, and altered the feel of the place twice a day.

This is also the place where Knut's eight year old daughter is said to be buried, and where he was said to have tried to turn back the tide. But instead of a tale about his arrogance and stupidity, he actually went on to tell his courtiers that this was proof of the power of the Almighty.



It was clear why this would be a favourite haunt for Harold Godwinson, a dedicated falconer, as there was plenty of game birds for hunting.

Book Tour Part 1: Shieldwall and the Hay-on-Wye Festival

Arrived in London, and drove down to Hay with Charlie Viney, and his son, Tom, and had a great time: seeing England again, and talking all the way from London to the Welsh border.

When we were almost there, we passed through Ewyas Harold, which has one of the few pre-Conquest Motte and Bailie castles in England: built by Ralph the Timid during Edward the Confessor's reign, to protect against the Welsh.

Stayed here: The Swan Inn, and expected it to be full of writers and intellectuals, but was strangely quiet.



Walked along the river, which must have been the border between the Welsh and English, and found a post-Conquest Motte and Baile castle in the field across the road, and after dinner in the long summer twilight, conducted a little tour for the London literary types.

A fine castle:



Talking to a whiskey soaked audience, courtesy of Highland Park.



And then my big talk - going head to head against a double act of The Archbishop of Canterbury and Simon Russel-Beale - and delighted to have a fine turn out. First talk on Shieldwall went very well: and a quick signing, before heading back to London via Hereforth: where the Welsh burnt the cathedral down in 1056, after a vigorous resistance in which 7 canons were killed.

Remembered how Bishops of Hereford seem to have been the military type, with responsibility for leading the local resistance. Like Bishop Leofgar, once chaplain to Harold Godwinson, who died in battle in 1056.


Thoughts on Hay:
I was very impressed with Hay, not having been there before, and hearing that it was more corporate than literary. Peter Florence was delightful, the audience diverse and interested, and what impressed me most of all was the number of school kids. I've never seen so many at a festival, and thought this was an excellent feature.



As an author: the volunteers were excellent and helpful; the carrot cake and coffee generously distributed, and the tech support as smooth as it gets.

Shieldwall Breaks into the Best Seller lists at #2!!!

the picture says it all, and just time to squeeze in a bottle of the finest bubbly before flying to London for the UK Book Tour!

UK Tour Dates

I asked my wife, What to take on a book tour? She told me a pen, ink and a spare change of underwear. And books of course! I've got my own list, and will be adding and subtracting from that in the next few hours of scrambled packing, but just time to let you know what's happening in the next few weeks.

If you're around, or it's a rainy day, and you have nothing better to do, then why not come and listen to some old english. Or indeed, the adventures of Godwin Wulfnothson. Or indeed, about that other great conquest of England, in 1016, not 1066!

Friday 27th May
2pm The Moot, Hay-on-Wye: An intimate, whiskey sipping atmosphere, sponsored by Highland Park. Who could miss that?!
4pm Elmley Foundation Theatre, Hay-on-Wye: Gripping fiction that reclaims the Saxon history of Ethelred, Edmund and Harold from the Norman conquerors by a multi-award-winning novelist. (and my last public appearance as a 39 year old, who's been sipping whiskey all afternoon...)

Tuesday 31st May
2pm Landscape and Space: Nottingham University, English Department
6.15pm The Writer in China, Nottingham University Public Lecture.

Friday 3rd June
Accessing the Medieval: Nottingham University

Saturday 4th June
12pm Waterstones Bookshop: Book Signing

Monday 6th June
St Peter's School, York

Thursday 9th June
Charlbury Primary School

Friday 10th June
7pm Corner House, Charlbury

Party Shoes on...and an interesting link

Zee Stone Gallery, 7pm, 19th May.

Period costume only. Leave battle axes at the door, please


Want to read more: click here Thanks to Dymocks for picking me as their Author of the Month.

Run Dont Walk to your nearest Bookshop!!!!

Shieldwall is selling out all over Hong Kong, so make sure you grab a copy quick!

SOLD OUT IFC and DB!!

Buy Shieldwall Week Launches in Hong Kong

Let's get Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother off that number one slot!

Buy Shieldwall this week and lets put literature back into the best seller lists!