Philippa Gregory

BIO

Philippa Gregory is the New York Times bestselling author of several books, including THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL and THE BOLEYN INHERITANCE. A writer and broadcaster for radio and television, she lives in England. She welcomes visitors and messages at her website, www.philippagregory.com.

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AUTHOR TALK

September 26, 2008

Having written several works of historical fiction on Queen Elizabeth, author Philippa Gregory examines a different aspect of Tudor England from the perspective of one of the legendary ruler's greatest rivals --- Mary, Queen of Scots --- in her latest novel, THE OTHER QUEEN. In this interview, Gregory describes what initially fascinated her about this misrepresented figure and discusses the challenges of writing this book in the midst of undocumented gaps in her story. She also shares her thoughts on today's historical films and television programs, and reveals which period in English history will be the focus of her next three books.

Question: One of your chief gifts as a novelist is your ability to look at a well-known story and find a unique way to frame it. What first attracted you to Queen Mary's story? What ultimately convinced you to write this novel?
 
Philippa Gregory: I was attracted to the story by reading a very good biography of Queen Mary by John Guy, which convinced me that she was an astute and intelligent woman and not the doomed tragedy queen of the myth. When I discovered that she was the prisoner of Bess of Hardwick I could see that this was a collision of two tremendously powerful women, and I was very encouraged because no one before has been very interested in this period of Mary's life, or seen the possibilities of her plotting and her domestic arrangements.
 
Q: You've written several novels about Queen Elizabeth. How did you find the experience of writing about her from the perspective of one of her greatest opponents?
 
PG: I think my view of Elizabeth remains generally the same but I always remember what a different person she rightly is as a young woman in THE QUEEN'S FOOL, or a woman on the edge of her power in THE VIRGIN'S LOVER. In this book we have an older and more confident Elizabeth, but still one racked with uncertainty.
 
Q: Tudor England is a favorite subject for filmmakers and television producers. Have you seen a production that is particularly accurate in terms of its historical portrayals? Do you have a favorite film or television show about Elizabeth's reign and/or Mary Queen of Scots?
 
PG: No! I think one of the amusing things about films, even well-researched historical films, is that they tell us far more about the period in which they are made than the period that they describe. I do love the Elizabeth in Shakespeare in Love.
 
Q: Bess of Hardwick, despite what some may see as hard-heartedness, displays a shrewd intelligence and bold independence that many readers may not expect of a sixteenth-century woman. Have you found evidence of many women like her in your research?
 
PG: The fascinating thing is that in this time when women had no legal rights at all, we see an upflowering of women's self-determination. I think this is partly the impact of Protestantism, which made the church's learning accessible to women since it was now published in English, the rise of printing itself, the emphasis on individual conscience, and of course the need to make up your own mind in a society that had changed its religion four times in the last forty years. But there were very, very few women who made their money and kept it as Bess did.
 
Q: Bess and Mary are similar and yet also entirely opposite in many ways. With whom did you find yourself sympathizing more as the novel progressed? Did you genuinely like either of them? Did you feel sorry for George, or were you as disappointed in him as Bess ultimately was?
 
PG: I found I really genuinely liked both women, for their own very different qualities. I liked Mary's sense of herself and her unremitting courage and determination, and probably the same qualities in Bess. My sympathies were pretty equally divided except I think it would have been right for Mary to have gone back to Scotland, as Elizabeth promised. And I saw George as an ordinary man trapped between three extraordinary women, trying to do his best.
 
Q: The locations described in THE OTHER QUEEN, such as Chatsworth, Tutbury Castle, and Bess' masterpiece, Hardwick Hall, are all still standing. Have you been to these estates?
 
PG: I always go to places that I described; I think it is the only way to get the atmosphere. I even went to the ruins of Wingfield Palace and followed the course of the river, as Bess does on her approach.
 
Q: What kind of research did you do in writing this novel? Do you have a particular process for all your projects, or is each book different?
 
PG: Each book is different as it offers new challenges. The difficult bits of this book were the gaps in the story. We really don't know what went on privately between Mary and Bothwell but I deduce from her letters to him, which we know of but don't have on record, that their relationship continued when it would have been easier for her not to write. Also, the whole of the rising of the North is almost missing from conventional histories of the reign of Elizabeth, who overlook it because it did not create great change. But, at the time, it must have been terrifying.
 
Q: One of your bestselling novels, THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL, was recently made into a movie. Were you at all involved in the making of the film? What did you think of it?
 
PG: I was a consultant on the film and was involved in the early writing of the script and visited the locations and set. I thought it was a wonderful version of the Hollywood big historical movie. I thought the performances were tremendous, and the filming very beautiful.
 
Q: Your most popular works have focused on Tudor England. Did you choose this period for its rich history, or were you more drawn to the people who lived through it? Are there other periods of English history, or other nations, that command your interest enough to become subjects for future books?
 
PG: I started work on Tudor England with THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL because I discovered the character of Mary Boleyn and saw that she could be a wonderful character for a novel. From that starting point I seem to discover more and more fascinating characters, and my next books will take me back a generation to the Tudors' predecessors on the throne of England: the Plantaganets.
 
Q: Your Tudor novels are written from the perspective of much-discussed women. Do you think your portrayal of these infamous figures is dramatically different than most readers will have been taught? Was there a sense of righting the wrongs done by male historians who shaped these women's reputations?
 
PG: I feel very strongly that history has mostly been written by men and even when it is not prejudiced against women, it is dominated by a male perspective and male morality. Some of my heroines have been considered simply unimportant --- like Mary Boleyn or Katherine Howard --- and some of them have been stereotyped --- like Anne of Cleves and Katherine of Aragon. I don't start with a determination of putting the record straight, but when I read terribly prejudiced misjudgments of women, I cannot help but consider what they would really have been like --- and writing them back into the history.
 
Q: The conflict between Papists and Protestants during Elizabeth's reign plays a critical role in the unfolding tragedy of Mary Queen of Scots. In THE OTHER QUEEN, you present both perspectives through characters like George, Mary, and Bess. What opinion did you form about this struggle as you brought it to life? Do you see moments in history where things rightfully should have been different?
 
PG: I think history is always about moments when things should have been different, or could have been different --- that's what makes the study so fascinating. I try not to be particularly attached to one side or another; I have to be both Bess and Mary while I am writing in their voices and seeing through their eyes, so I have to be not unbiased but capable of committing to contradictory positions. I think that we lost a great deal at the Reformation but we gained the wonderful opportunity of Protestantism --- so I really do see both sides of the argument.
 
Q: Your website notes that you have begun work on a series about the war of the roses. Can you tell us a little bit about this forthcoming series?
 
PG: I am working on the first of a series of novels set in the time of the wars now known as the wars of the roses, with particular interest in the wonderful women who were behind the military leaders. Elizabeth Woodville was Queen to Edward VI and mother of the princes in the Tower. Her great enemy and sometime ally was Henry VII's mother, Margaret Beaufort. These are typical of women who try to survive and succeed in a world made dangerous and uncertain by constant wars and changing of alliances. It's a complicated and fascinating period, and my first novel will be published in Fall 2009.

© Copyright 2008, Touchstone, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

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AUTHOR TALK

December 2006

Philippa Gregory has written books that range in genre from contemporary comedies and thrillers to children's literature. However, she is probably best known for her historical fiction, including THE QUEEN'S FOOL, THE CONSTANT PRINCESS and the newly released THE BOLEYN INHERITANCE, which centers on the court of King Henry VIII. In this interview, Gregory discusses her fascination with Tudor England and explains why she chose to focus her novel on figures who have been overlooked or negatively portrayed by historians. She also describes plans for her next book and touches upon her contribution to the upcoming film adaptation of THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL, starring Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson and Eric Bana.

Question: Why did you decide to structure the narrative from the perspectives of the three women featured in the book --- Anne of Cleves, Jane Boleyn, and Katherine Howard --- rather than tell the story through the eyes of one character?

Philippa Gregory: I like to develop and change the style of the novel with each new book. I believe very strongly that the historical novel --- just like the literary novel --- can experiment with form. This story was one which really suited a three-person narrative and I thought that as long as I got the voices of the three women, distinct and clear on the page, then it would be a successful way of telling their stories.

Q: You say on your website that THE BOLEYN INHERITANCE is currently your favorite of the novels you've written. What makes this book stand out for you?

PG: The most recent novel is often the favourite! But I think this one tells a fascinating story which is not well known, it rescues the reputation of two Queens who have been neglected and traduced by conventional history --- historians still call Anne of Cleves 'fat' and Katherine Howard 'stupid' so it matters to me that they are considered carefully as real people. It was a real pleasure to write.

Q: You say in the Author's Note that of Henry VIII's six wives, the least is known about Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard. Why is that? When conducting research for this novel, did anything come to light about either woman that surprised you?

PG: I think I was startled by the new material which shows how young Katherine was. That was probably the most striking piece of information. And the amazing deal that Anne managed to make as her divorce settlement.

Q: Jane Boleyn is a fascinating character and a little-known historical figure. Why do you suppose that no biography has been written about her?

PG: I believe that people are working on her now, but there is nothing published at the moment. I think like many of these amazing characters in Tudor England, they have been overwhelmed by the bigger story. Also, many people have accepted her as simply 'wicked' and then simply 'mad'. I suggest that there is likely to be a more complicated version behind this.

Q: You've written about four of Henry VIII's six wives: Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Anne of Cleves, and Katherine Howard. Do you have plans to feature Henry's other two queens, Jane Seymour and Catherine Parr, in novels?

PG: I am very interested in Catherine Parr. I did quite a lot of Jane Seymour in THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL, so I feel I have looked at her. But Catherine Parr is an intriguing Queen, and another survivor.

Q: What can you tell us about the writing process for THE BOLEYN INHERITANCE? Did having a previous store of knowledge about the court of King Henry VIII to draw on make it easier in some ways to write this novel?

PG: Every Tudor novel gets easier as I am building a body of knowledge and a library at the same time. But equally, every novel takes me somewhere new and interesting. This one to the politics of the later court, and the health of the older king. I feel rather warm towards Henry as I have now 'lived' with him for years and looked at his life from when he was a young charming boy to this old and dangerous tyrant. I love going back to the history books and thinking about him and the court, they are a familiar but always surprising story.

Q: The lives of Jane Boleyn and the young Katherine Howard end tragically. How did you maintain a boundary to keep from becoming too emotionally involved in such a heartrending story?

PG: I hope you are hugely involved! I thought the death of Katherine was very poignant, and the detail of her practicing with the block is from the histories --- it is probably true. The death of Jane should come as a surprise and a shock to the reader --- that too is based on the accounts of the time who thought she was genuinely mad. The redeeming feature of the end of the novel is the survival of Anne of Cleves and her speech at the end ... "I shall own a cat and not fear being called a whore..." is (in my opinion) the best thing I have ever written. It comes straight from the heart and from my own experience in that I think women have to be free and a key to their freedom is how they are perceived. They have to free themselves from fear.

Q: THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL is being made into a feature film starring Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, and Eric Bana. Are you looking forward to seeing the story come to life on the silver screen? Were you involved in writing the screenplay or other aspects of the filmmaking process?

PG: I am historical consultant on the project and I have been in touch with the writer, Peter Morgan all through the project. I have visited the set and seen some of the rushes. It has been very interesting and enjoyable and the performances that I have seen have been stunning. I hope very much it will be a great success, but I always come back to the novel which is my original and personal vision of the story. The film, by its very nature, is another version.

Q: You recently participated in an author event at the Tower of London. What is it like to set foot in such a historic place, one that has featured prominently in some of your works?

PG: It is magical to walk where these historical characters walked, and on this evening, the Tower was closed to the public and we were able to be there in darkness with occasional glimpses of actors in Tudor costume. It is very very haunting.

Q: What other historical figures are you considering featuring in future books?

PG: I am currently working on a novel about Mary Queen of Scots and fighting to get the time to write it! One of the problems that comes with success is that there are so many calls on my time. But everywhere I go I take my research books and my laptop and I love working on this character.

© Copyright 2006, Touchstone Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.

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