The Last Saxon King
I would like to wish a happy Rosh Hashanah to my Jewish friends and readers.
And September 25, 1066 was the date of the battle of Stamford Bridge in which the Saxon king, Harold Godwinson, defeated an invading Norwegian army. Just three weeks later, Harold would be defeated himself and slain during the battle of Hastings. For those interested in finding out more about the last Saxon king, I recommend the novel by Helen Hollick. It was published in the UK as Harold the King and in the US as I am the Chosen King, which is always a bad idea, for the potential for confusion is obvious, but writers are rarely consulted about such decisions. My British publisher at the time wanted to change the title for Here Be Dragons but I held firm and won the battle only by agreeing to change my name—no, I am not making that up. I had to drop my middle name in order to keep the title, which is why I am published in the US as Sharon Kay Penman and in the UK as Sharon Penman.
And September 25, 1066 was the date of the battle of Stamford Bridge in which the Saxon king, Harold Godwinson, defeated an invading Norwegian army. Just three weeks later, Harold would be defeated himself and slain during the battle of Hastings. For those interested in finding out more about the last Saxon king, I recommend the novel by Helen Hollick. It was published in the UK as Harold the King and in the US as I am the Chosen King, which is always a bad idea, for the potential for confusion is obvious, but writers are rarely consulted about such decisions. My British publisher at the time wanted to change the title for Here Be Dragons but I held firm and won the battle only by agreeing to change my name—no, I am not making that up. I had to drop my middle name in order to keep the title, which is why I am published in the US as Sharon Kay Penman and in the UK as Sharon Penman.
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Both books mentioned are GREAT books!!! You made my day with this disclosure about book titles and names! If I were to ever publish in the UK (not holding breathe or anything) I would revert to my families original last name- still in existence in England - Petre. I think it would be excellent to fly the name flag in the face of the family that let the youngest son be shipped off for horse stealing charges that should actually have been laid at the door of the heir!
They actually told me two names sounded "too American," MaryKate. I remember sitting there and thinking, "Winston Spencer Churchill," "George Bernard Shaw." Even after so many years, it still looks odd to me to see my name on my British books without the middle name. But it was worth it to keep the title, Here be Dragons, which they thought was a "joke" title. It sounds as if your family history would make a good book in itself, Gin.
Sharon, that explanation just made me laugh. And you're absolutely right about Churchill and Bernard Shaw...just a few Brits with the double name, that's all!
I remain baffled by that decision. Although I admit I persistently recommend you to friends as "Sharon Penman", out of sheer habit. I don't think two names sounds more American - it's only certain names with that association for us British folks with the American Wild West. Such as, well, "Mary-Kate", "Mary-Beth", "Tammie-Lynn". Those names yell American to British ears. We tend not to combined two names in one hyphenated name like that. But we all have middle names, at least, from the 20th century onwards! So I don't get why they made you change it.And Here Be Dragons just reminds me of Medieval maps with unknown lands marked as "Here be dragons".
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Why on earth would they make you drop your middle name in order to keep the title of your novel the same? How strange!