MONDAY SEPTEMBER 30 2013 A love story with mystery · good story comprising two love stories and a...
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MONDAY SEPTEMBER 30 2013 11 WomenTalk A T THE cost of your conscience and the truth, would you save your career by smearing a whistle- blower in a scandal that may implicate your lover? That is the dilemma that Fleet Street journalist Joanna faces in new novel The Greening when she stumbles upon the confessional journal of a woman named Anna Leigh while browsing in an antiquarian bookshop to buy a gift for her lover – a married Cabinet member. It is through Anna that Joanna learns of Julian of Norwich – a real-life 14th century mystic and a woman who risked everything for the truth. After a career on Fleet Street and at the BBC, journalist Margaret Coles has dipped into the literary scene with her debut novel which tells how the lives of two very modern women are forever changed when they encounter Julian of Norwich. Joanna finds out that certain things that are happening in her life are reflected in what Anna is saying about hers. Thinking Anna has the answers to her problems, Joanna embarks to find the diarist – but can’t find any trace of her. Little is known about the English nun Julian of Norwich, who lived from roughly 1342 to 1416, other than that mystical visions at the age of 30 propelled her to spend the rest of her life writing the first book written by a woman in the English language. Now venerated by the Anglican, Catholic and Lutheran Churches, her radical writings on the nature of God and sin were so heretical at the time that they and she herself risked being put to the torch. However, Coles sees her as an inspirational figure and The Greening as a life-affirming novel. “The Greening is a feel-good book,” she says.” It doesn’t proselytise or preach; rather, it’s written as a literary novel, a good story comprising two love stories and a detective story with a mystery at its heart.” Joanna, says Coles, is “being put under a lot of pressure to compromise her principles and feels that the building blocks of her life are tumbling around her” when she encounters Julian of Norwich’s teachings through her search for the other main character. “Julian challenges her and makes her think about the way she is living her life,” the author says. Inspiration for The Greening came from not only Coles’s experience as a journalist but also from her own discovery of Julian of Norwich. “I came across Julian by chance but Julian says that nothing happens by chance,” says Coles. It was on a visit to Norwich’s 900-year-old cathedral. “Just as I was leaving, I spotted a leaflet in a display notice board and it just caught my eye,” she said. Intrigued, Coles followed its directions to Julian’s single-room cell attached to St Julian’s Church, from which the mystic took her name. “The atmosphere in the cell was just so beautiful and so peaceful that it really engaged with me,” says Coles. “I just had this wonderful feeling of peace, joy and calm. The more I read of Julian, the more she fascinated me. I tried to imagine what it must be like to risk your life to tell a story – it’s more than most journalists expect to do.” After experiencing her visions while seriously ill, Julian became an anchoress – a hermit – and lived in her cell, according to Coles. “She spent the next 40 years pondering the meaning of the visions and then writing her book, Revelations of Divine Love. She wrote a book not knowing when or if it could ever be published so it was a real act of faith,” says Coles. The final version, at an amazing 63,599 words, relayed visions of the crucifixion and the forgiving nature of God. Writing at the time of plague epidemics and the Hundred Years’ War, Julian radically said suffering is not punishment from God and sin is a necessary learning experience caused not by the evil of man but by ignorance and naivety. “It would have gone very much against the orthodoxies of the day,” says Coles. “Had she been caught, she would have been branded a heretic and the punishment for heresy was to be burnt at the stake.” It wasn’t until 1670 that Julian’s manuscripts were first published and then only reprinted in 1843. Starting in the late 19th and early 20th century, interest in Julian of Norwich’s writings grew and, according to Coles, there are now 450 Julian contemplating prayer groups across the UK that regularly meet to read her writings and an international magazine. Coles thinks Julian’s writings are very relevant for today; “In fact, some of the Julian experts think her teachings were kept for us today – they were meant for us today,” she says. n The Greening by Margaret Coles is published by Hay House, priced £8.99. “I just had this wonderful feeling of peace, joy and calm. The more I read of Julian, the more she fascinated me. I tried to imagine what it must be like to risk your life to tell a story – it’s more than most journalists expect to do” Margaret Coles n IN TOUCH WITH HISTORY: Margaret Coles Former journalist Margaret Coles’s debut novel is a love story, detective tale and mystery partly inspired by a 14th century mystic, the first woman to write a book in the English language. The author spoke to Andrew Coffman-Smith A love story with mystery at its heart www.thequays.co.uk Where the Journey Continues... THE QUAYS BIG AUTUMN/WINTER FASHION SHOW 2013 SATURDAY 5 th October THE QUAYS BIG AUTUMN/WINTER FASHION SHOW 2013 Walk This Way... Walk This Way...
Transcript of MONDAY SEPTEMBER 30 2013 A love story with mystery · good story comprising two love stories and a...
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 30 2013 11WomenTalk
AT THE cost of yourconscience and thetruth, would yousave your career bysmearing a whistle-
blower in a scandal that mayimplicate your lover?That is the dilemma that FleetStreet journalist Joanna facesin new novel The Greeningwhen she stumbles uponthe confessional journal of awoman named Anna Leigh whilebrowsing in an antiquarianbookshop to buy a gift forher lover – a married Cabinetmember.It is through Anna that Joannalearns of Julian of Norwich – areal-life 14th century mystic anda woman who risked everythingfor the truth.After a career on Fleet Street andat the BBC, journalist MargaretColes has dipped into theliterary scene with her debutnovel which tells how the livesof two very modern womenare forever changed when theyencounter Julian of Norwich.Joanna finds out that certainthings that are happening in herlife are reflected in what Annais saying about hers. ThinkingAnna has the answers to herproblems, Joanna embarks tofind the diarist – but can’t findany trace of her.Little is known about the Englishnun Julian of Norwich, who livedfrom roughly 1342 to 1416, other
than that mystical visions at theage of 30 propelled her to spendthe rest of her life writing thefirst book written by a woman inthe English language.Now venerated by the Anglican,Catholic and Lutheran Churches,her radical writings on thenature of God and sin were soheretical at the time that theyand she herself risked being putto the torch.However, Coles sees her as aninspirational figure and TheGreening as a life-affirming novel.“The Greening is a feel-goodbook,” she says.” It doesn’tproselytise or preach; rather, it’swritten as a literary novel, agood story comprising two lovestories and a detective storywith a mystery at its heart.”Joanna, says Coles, is “being put
under a lot of pressure tocompromise her principlesand feels that the buildingblocks of her life aretumbling around her”when she encounters Julian ofNorwich’s teachings throughher search for the other maincharacter.“Julian challenges her and makesher think about the way she isliving her life,” the author says.Inspiration for The Greeningcame from not only Coles’sexperience as a journalist butalso from her own discovery ofJulian of Norwich.“I came across Julian by chancebut Julian says that nothinghappens by chance,” says Coles.It was on a visit to Norwich’s900-year-old cathedral.“Just as I was leaving, I spotted aleaflet in a display notice boardand it just caught my eye,” shesaid.Intrigued, Coles followed itsdirections to Julian’s
single-room cellattached to StJulian’s Church,from which themystic took hername.
“The atmosphere in the cell wasjust so beautiful and so peacefulthat it really engaged with me,”says Coles.“I just had this wonderful feelingof peace, joy and calm. The moreI read of Julian, the more shefascinated me. I tried to imaginewhat it must be like to risk yourlife to tell a story – it’s more thanmost journalists expect to do.”After experiencing her visionswhile seriously ill, Julian becamean anchoress – a hermit – andlived in her cell, according toColes.“She spent the next 40 yearspondering the meaning of thevisions and then writing herbook, Revelations of DivineLove. She wrote a book notknowing when or if it could ever
be published so it was a real actof faith,” says Coles.The final version, at an amazing63,599 words, relayed visions ofthe crucifixion and the forgivingnature of God. Writing at thetime of plague epidemics andthe Hundred Years’ War, Julianradically said suffering is notpunishment from God and sin isa necessary learning experiencecaused not by the evil of manbut by ignorance and naivety.“It would have gone very muchagainst the orthodoxies ofthe day,” says Coles. “Had shebeen caught, she would havebeen branded a heretic and thepunishment for heresy was to beburnt at the stake.”It wasn’t until 1670 that Julian’smanuscripts were first publishedand then only reprinted in 1843.Starting in the late 19th and early20th century, interest in Julianof Norwich’s writings grew and,according to Coles, there arenow 450 Julian contemplatingprayer groups across the UKthat regularly meet to read herwritings and an internationalmagazine.Coles thinks Julian’s writings arevery relevant for today; “In fact,some of the Julian experts thinkher teachings were kept for ustoday – they were meant for ustoday,” she says.n The Greening by MargaretColes is published by HayHouse, priced £8.99.
“I just had this wonderful feeling of peace,joy and calm. The more I read of Julian,the more she fascinated me. I tried toimagine what it must be like to risk yourlife to tell a story – it’s more than mostjournalists expect to do”
Margaret Coles
n IN TOUCH WITHHISTORY:
Margaret Coles
Former journalistMargaret Coles’sdebut novel isa love story,detective taleand mysterypartly inspiredby a 14thcentury mystic,the first womanto write a bookin the Englishlanguage.The author spoketo AndrewCoffman-Smith
A lovestorywithmysteryat itsheart
www.thequays.co.ukWhere the Journey Continues...
THE QUAYSBIG AUTUMN/WINTERFASHION SHOW 2013
SATURDAY 5thOctoberTHE QUAYSBIG AUTUMN/WINTERFASHION SHOW 2013
Walk This Way...Walk This Way...
