Why write about the Earl of Surrey?

Well, as the title suggests, Surrey was the last man to be executed in the reign of Henry VIII. Yet just over a year earlier the King had appointed him to a top military command. I wanted to find out how someone as privileged and favoured as Surrey could be brought down so easily. The fact that he was innocent of the treason with which he was charged makes his story all the more compelling.

But it was his poetry that initially drew me to Surrey. His lyrical voice is so vivid and passionate. This was a time when criticism of the King was a capital offence. Unlike most courtiers, who had learned to be circumspect, Surrey was daringly outspoken and he composed some highly risky poems that contained veiled criticisms of the King and Court. David Starkey once wrote that Surrey was ‘one of the most remarkable men of the age’. He was charismatic and magnetic, but he also made mistakes, brawled, offended people and landed himself in prison on several occasions. Not everyone will like him, but he could never be accused of being dull.

How long did it take you to research and write the book?

Around four years. I did a huge amount of research and got a bit carried away with certain subjects – Tudor London, for example – which fascinated me, but only made up a few pages of the book. None of it was wasted, though. I remember hearing Victoria Glendinning speak about biography at the London Book Fair. She likened research to a giant compost heap that nourishes and enriches the end product, which is a rather lovely way of putting it.
The actual writing took about a year. I took myself off to my mother’s cottage in Kent and became a bit of a hermit in my tracksuit and slippers.

What was your greatest challenge in writing the book?

I thought it would be the manuscripts. Sixteenth century handwriting is often very difficult to read and the spelling is eccentric to say the least, but they actually turned out to be my favourite part of the whole enterprise. There’s something tremendously exciting about finding a document in the archives that makes something incomprehensible suddenly make sense…or to crack a particularly tricky piece of handwriting after spending hours, even days, trying to decipher it. And to rediscover manuscripts that have lain dormant for many years is a thrilling experience.

I think, in the end, the biggest challenge was in being truthful and fair. More than anything I was afraid of disturbing Surrey’s ghost and I was particularly aware that his poetry couldn’t be reduced to a single motive or emotion. I give opinions and analyses, but I hope I also make clear that his poetry is very subjective.

Did you discover anything new during your research?

Surprisingly, yes! I found two crucial letters written to Surrey in a trunk in Oxburgh Hall, which, as far as I’m aware, have only ever been cited in abstract before. I was also able to tie up a few loose ends which, though probably only evident to a few Surrey scholars, was nevertheless satisfying. There were other sources too – for example a dedicatory epistle written to Surrey when he was fifteen – that haven’t been cited in previous biographies of him. I also found ‘optical research’, as Antonia Fraser terms it, very useful. Going to the Tower of London and examining the garderobe shaft in St Thomas’s Tower, helped me see how the story of Surrey’s attempted escape from the Tower, while still unproven, could at least have been possible.

Why are you so drawn to the Tudor Age?

A large part of the reason is probably down to the fact that the teachers at school and university that inspired me the most happened to specialise in that subject. The Tudor period appeals to me for all the reasons that make it so popular: the larger-than-life characters, the soap opera of the royal marriages, the Reformation, pageantry, factionalism, intrigue and the curious amalgam of coarseness and sophistication. I also find it quite comic at times. The age produced some of the most witty, sarcastic, lewd and scatological quotations in history. 

Was the publication of your first book a thrilling experience?

I’ll never forget the moment I held the book in my hands for the first time. That really was thrilling! My publishers came up with a terrific front cover – a detail from a portrait of Surrey – and I kept glancing at it all day not quite believing that it had my name on it.

I did find the publicity quite daunting at first though. I’m the kind of person who gets nervous reading at friends’ weddings, so the thought of appearing on radio or talking at festivals to people who knew the period well and had paid to hear me speak was pretty terrifying. Having said that, public speaking does produce an adrenalin rush and it’s a wonderful opportunity to interact with readers and share ideas and passions.

Describe a typical working day?

If I’m researching in a library or archive in London, I’ll get there when it opens and work until about 6.30 in the evening, then return home in the rush hour. It’s not always easy to maintain discipline, but I do find it helps to treat it like a normal job.

Working from home is less easy. There are so many distractions. I can while away many hours on the internet and there’s always housework to do.
When I’m writing, I tend to work more intensively and usually take myself off somewhere quiet where no one knows the phone number.

What advice can you give to anyone starting out?

Read as much as possible, listen to advice and criticism, and have realistic expectations. Don’t doubt yourself; you will, of course, but try not to let it get the better of you. Having said that, don’t delude yourself either. If all the agents and publishers you approach reject your idea, ask yourself why. Has it been done to death already? Is it commercial enough? Do you have anything new to say?

My agent Andrew Lownie has a website – www.andrewlownie.co.uk – with lots of useful information about shaping and submitting proposals, approaching agents and other top tips.

What are you working on now?

A book about the Elizabethan recusants: the Catholics who were prosecuted for refusing to attend Anglican services. Their courage and resilience was remarkable and the issue of religious persecution and terrorism is obviously powerfully relevant today.