Patricia
asked
Gretta Curran Browne:
Gretta. Your Byron series captured so much emotion! Empathy, anger at mother who spent her life tormenting and belittling a child she brought into the world, elation that such a child grew up to success, kindness, drive to succeed, a devout friend to most who befriended him. Yet, a man whose heart was shadowed by sorrow. How did you research an individual from that time period? How much time did that research t
Gretta Curran Browne
Hi Patricia - initially 3 years research that resulted in the first 4 books - and then another two years in order to write about his years living abroad in Switzerland, Italy, and then Greece. (I feel now there is NOTHING about Byron I do not know)
Almost all of my research comes from Byron himself through his own papers, letters, diaries, journals - as well as from those of his closest friends -- and of course, some of the Byron Scholars at Cambridge.
Apart from the Scholars, I have ignored all sources of those that were not eye-witnesses to his life, or not physically THERE with Byron at the time
That is why I quote so much of their own actual letters etc to show all scenes are based on those given to me by the players themselves. I also spent time at his home of Newstead Abbey and was able to stand in his bedroom at the window and see the same views he saw at the time - and sit in his library etc - Newstead Abbey and its surrounding lakes and lands are so beautiful, so peaceful, and it has not changed at all since Byron lived there. (The mansion and vast grounds are now owned and looked after by the Nottinghamshire Trust). Annesley Hall, (where Mary C lived) is now sadly derelict, and gone to ruin, only the main structure remains.
The next book - Book 5 - is released on April 19th 2018 - because that is an official National Bank Holiday in Greece every year being "Byron's Day" when all parents are asked by the Greek Government to allow their children to spend some part of that day studying literature or drama in honour of the poet who has long been a "hero" in Greece, due to Byron's involvement in Greece's fight for Independence.
The final 2 books are published this summer of 2018.
Thank you so much for your appreciation of my work, Patricia, but I honestly think that half of the words come from Byron himself, as was he one who provided most of the material in the papers he left behind.
Almost all of my research comes from Byron himself through his own papers, letters, diaries, journals - as well as from those of his closest friends -- and of course, some of the Byron Scholars at Cambridge.
Apart from the Scholars, I have ignored all sources of those that were not eye-witnesses to his life, or not physically THERE with Byron at the time
That is why I quote so much of their own actual letters etc to show all scenes are based on those given to me by the players themselves. I also spent time at his home of Newstead Abbey and was able to stand in his bedroom at the window and see the same views he saw at the time - and sit in his library etc - Newstead Abbey and its surrounding lakes and lands are so beautiful, so peaceful, and it has not changed at all since Byron lived there. (The mansion and vast grounds are now owned and looked after by the Nottinghamshire Trust). Annesley Hall, (where Mary C lived) is now sadly derelict, and gone to ruin, only the main structure remains.
The next book - Book 5 - is released on April 19th 2018 - because that is an official National Bank Holiday in Greece every year being "Byron's Day" when all parents are asked by the Greek Government to allow their children to spend some part of that day studying literature or drama in honour of the poet who has long been a "hero" in Greece, due to Byron's involvement in Greece's fight for Independence.
The final 2 books are published this summer of 2018.
Thank you so much for your appreciation of my work, Patricia, but I honestly think that half of the words come from Byron himself, as was he one who provided most of the material in the papers he left behind.
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