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Dilly Court: In Her Own WordsUK Historical Novelist Talks About her Novels and Inspiration
UK historical novelist, Dilly Court talks about her inspiration and novels. Set in Victorian East End London, Dilly's novels paint a rich picture of life during this era
Historical novelist, Dilly Court, talks to us more about her books, the parts of London where they are set and plans for the future. Kate Pullen: How do you research your books? Dilly Court: I read works by Victorian authors and refer a great deal to Henry Mayhew's interviews with London's poor. Dickens's Dictionary of London is fantastic for research purposes and I have books on costume, customs and architecture. I also have street maps of London from 1843 onwards and I make full use of the internet. KP: Are your books based on real places? Could a reader visit some of the places or streets referred to in your book? DC: Virtually all the places I mention in my books are real, but some of the London streets have disappeared under new roads and developments, but they were present at the time about which I write. KP: Do you ever visit the East End? Does the East End in your books still exist - obviously the squalor and poverty has gone, but what about the East End character, buildings and general identify? DC: I do visit London several times a year, but a great deal of the East End in my books has been redeveloped. London is always reinventing itself and this is particularly true of the East End which has embraced wave after wave of immigrants from many different nations. The buildings and the population may change; areas that were once squalid have become gentrified and the run-down docks have been replaced by smart office buildings, but I think the spirit of the East End remains constant. KP: With 5 books already published and another, A Mothers Courage, due for publication in November, how do you keep coming up with new ideas for plots and how do you keep your characters fresh. DC: Ideas come in strange ways. The Dollmaker's Daughters was inspired partly by the Antiques Roadshow, when a man brought in a doll which had been made by his Italian grandfather who had died of lead poisoning from the pigment used in the wax faces. My great grandfather was an artist and he too died of lead poisoning from a similar source. Once I had the heroine, or two in this case as they are twins, I was away and the story virtually wrote itself. KP: .......and lastly - what next? DC: The Constant Heart will be published in June 2008 and I have two more East End sagas in the pipeline. I hope to keep writing for some time yet - there are so many wonderful stories just waiting to be told and the East End of London is an endless source of inspiration. Thank you to Dilly Court for taking the time to do this interview with us. Further Information:Website - DillyCourt.com Books - Dilly Court´s books can be bought in local book stores and from online retailers such as Amazon.com Titles
The copyright of the article Dilly Court: In Her Own Words in British/UK Fiction is owned by Kate Pullen. Permission to republish Dilly Court: In Her Own Words in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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