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Hilary Mantel at Rose Theatre in Kingston
09 March 2010 by Nicky
Hilary Mantel CBE has described her 2009 Man Booker Prize winning novel
Wolf Hall as the "The book I was born to write". And
joining the audience at the Rose Theatre in Kingston recently, there
was definitely a feeling that this is her moment. Ms. Mantel
enjoyed the court in Kingston and the court was happy to lap up
every word. We had asked for an interview for this site but sadly
had been turned down by the publishers. Opening the book I had just
bought before going into the auditorium, I was enthralled within
seconds and just wish I could cancel the next few days to
enjoy the writing.
The Kingston event was billed as "in conversation with Richard
Cohen" (visiting professor of Creative Writing and Publishing
Studies at Kingston University and editor). However more than
once I wished during the 90 minutes that it had indeed been a
conversation. A question was asked and then Ms. Mantel was
abandoned to the audience until she came to a full stop. Cue next
unrelated question. Yes she of course fascinating however there
were moment when I would have like the interviewer to press her for
more details.
Nonetheless some elements were gripping. We heard (as many may
already know) that Ms. Mantel is a cradle Catholic, that she
doesn't consider herself a historian (academics will no doubt
collectively sleep more soundly now), that she wanted to recreate
the poisonous atmosphere at the court of King Henry VIII, that the
role of the historical fiction writer was to fill in the gaps
which, like intricate lace making, paint the entire picture ("The
gaps where the facts run out" she claimed,) that in suffering
from migraines all her life she often felt the presence of "an
other being alongside", that Ivy Compton-Burnett inspired
her. When an audience member asked her whether she had a
tragic view of humanity, after a pause she replied "no, a satirical
view". These were indeed enlightening moments. However we could
have done with a few more.
The "author meets their audience event" has been established for
some time now and the numerous literary festivals highlight
the fact that writers need to be performers as well as
artists. Perhaps this also applies to their interviewers.