For award-winning, internationally-acclaimed author Rosemary Sutcliff (1920-92). By Anthony Lawton: godson, cousin & literary executor. Rosemary Sutcliff wrote historical fiction, children's literature and books, films, TV & radio, including The Eagle of the Ninth, Sword at Sunset, Song for a Dark Queen, The Mark of the Horse Lord, The Silver Branch, The Lantern Bearers, Dawn Wind, Blue Remembered Hills.
Dear Lovers of Rosemary Sutcliff
I am beginning to think ahead to 2020, the 100th anniversary of Rosemary Sutcliff’s birth in 1920.
Do you have ideas about how the centenary might be publicised and celebrated and used to good effect?
Anthony Lawton
For the celebration I would suggest a tie up with as many Museums and Libraries as you can muster..with Activities for Kids and families..story-telling,painting,drawing,costume-making, re-enacting, etc. at The Museum in the Park we do lots of “family drop-ins” based around a particular artist or exhibition.
We do an annual thing called The Big Draw, which is nationwide..so A Big Write,or A Big Read or similar would be great, based around Rosemary`s work. What would Rosemary call it??
Schools would also need to be involved.. our local schools come in regularly and do themed visits with activities tailored to what they want..usually related to the Curriculum, but practical, hands on stuff. A good opportunity to counteract the insidious corporate nature of some of it, as you note above!!
I also suggest contacting The Guild Of Tourist Guides, to which I belong, and see if you can get some guides to put on some specific walks and talks.. If you`d like me to do one I`d be happy to give it a go..I`d need some help from you with material though..
Certainly write to them..they may well put a review/article in their “Guide Post” magazine, which all Guides receive.
I started reading Rosemary`s books at about seven or eight, and still love them..
Haven`t read them all yet, but “Warrior Scarlet” is definitely a favourite.
How exciting that her 100th birthday is coming so soon! I wish I had been born a bit earlier so I could have met her, but at least I’ll be around to help honor her on her birthday. It should certainly be a big deal that it’s the birthday of one of the greatest historical-fiction writers of all time (and my personal favorite author ever). So I’m brainstorming a few ideas here, feel free to use or ignore any of them:
We need a hashtag for Rosemary! This way Sutcliff fans from everywhere could show their solidarity, share her with their friends and followers, and maybe even get her to be a trending topic on Twitter! I’m thinking #Sutcliff100 or #SutcliffBirthday, but that’s something that can be figured out later.
Perhaps we could get different sites to cover it, news websites or media companies to just mention it and maybe have articles about her. That’d be super great for her publicity.
On a similar note, I wonder if we could find a way of getting some recognition for her in Parliament, Congress, or some Universities who honor accomplished and amazing individuals for their achievements in their field. I have no idea how to go about that, though.
How cool would it be to have a special 100th birthday printing of one of her books? Or maybe a set of books? It would be sooooo cool to have beautiful binding, extensive maps in the beginning, perhaps redone illustrations (if the artist was perfect…), a timeline of Britain and perhaps the Dolphin ring, maybe an appendix on the different people in Britain like zoozoo24 mentioned? All things to think about, but that’d be so cool.
I would love to see other ways to get some attention for her, maybe find a way to donate some of her books to schoolchildren, or make a video, or have a day for Sutcliff fans to come together and see where she wrote or a place she wrote about? There’s got to be many more ways to spread the love of this amazing author, and I hope you’ll keep us posted and allow us to help you with whatever plans you make!
Hmmm, just brainstorming, rt now, not really sure how it might take shape…
First, naturally, a page and a timeline for each of Rosemary’s books. Also a timeline for her life in general, documenting residences, travels, where she did most of her research (libraries, museums, etc.), favorite places, favorite causes, preferred clothing, foods, restaurants, pubs, authors, reading and movie genres, etc., i.e., who was Rosemary as an individual?? Together with her health issues, did she have a favorite doctor? Her books seemed to reflect a respect and a regard for the physically and mentally “handicapped.”
Also, perhaps a page for each individual ethnic group (foods, dress, traditions, culture, mythology, religion, etc.) brought to the fore by Rosemary?
Examples might be “The Little Dark People” (my personal fave), Epidii, Dalriads (Scoti?), Caledonii, Other proto-British tribes (Dumnonii, Selgovae, Brigantes, Iceni, etc.), Vikings, Irish tribes, Saxons, Jutes, Angles, Normans, etc., etc.
Last of all a quasi-genealogy might be enjoyable. From which of her beloved “peoples” (from her books) might she have been descended?
ROSEMARY SUTCLIFF (1920-92) 
A biography?
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Hi Anthony,
For the celebration I would suggest a tie up with as many Museums and Libraries as you can muster..with Activities for Kids and families..story-telling,painting,drawing,costume-making, re-enacting, etc. at The Museum in the Park we do lots of “family drop-ins” based around a particular artist or exhibition.
We do an annual thing called The Big Draw, which is nationwide..so A Big Write,or A Big Read or similar would be great, based around Rosemary`s work. What would Rosemary call it??
Schools would also need to be involved.. our local schools come in regularly and do themed visits with activities tailored to what they want..usually related to the Curriculum, but practical, hands on stuff. A good opportunity to counteract the insidious corporate nature of some of it, as you note above!!
I also suggest contacting The Guild Of Tourist Guides, to which I belong, and see if you can get some guides to put on some specific walks and talks.. If you`d like me to do one I`d be happy to give it a go..I`d need some help from you with material though..
Certainly write to them..they may well put a review/article in their “Guide Post” magazine, which all Guides receive.
I started reading Rosemary`s books at about seven or eight, and still love them..
Haven`t read them all yet, but “Warrior Scarlet” is definitely a favourite.
Steve Hill
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Thanks for these ideas…all new for me! And I too love Warrior Scarlet…
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How exciting that her 100th birthday is coming so soon! I wish I had been born a bit earlier so I could have met her, but at least I’ll be around to help honor her on her birthday. It should certainly be a big deal that it’s the birthday of one of the greatest historical-fiction writers of all time (and my personal favorite author ever). So I’m brainstorming a few ideas here, feel free to use or ignore any of them:
We need a hashtag for Rosemary! This way Sutcliff fans from everywhere could show their solidarity, share her with their friends and followers, and maybe even get her to be a trending topic on Twitter! I’m thinking #Sutcliff100 or #SutcliffBirthday, but that’s something that can be figured out later.
Perhaps we could get different sites to cover it, news websites or media companies to just mention it and maybe have articles about her. That’d be super great for her publicity.
On a similar note, I wonder if we could find a way of getting some recognition for her in Parliament, Congress, or some Universities who honor accomplished and amazing individuals for their achievements in their field. I have no idea how to go about that, though.
How cool would it be to have a special 100th birthday printing of one of her books? Or maybe a set of books? It would be sooooo cool to have beautiful binding, extensive maps in the beginning, perhaps redone illustrations (if the artist was perfect…), a timeline of Britain and perhaps the Dolphin ring, maybe an appendix on the different people in Britain like zoozoo24 mentioned? All things to think about, but that’d be so cool.
I would love to see other ways to get some attention for her, maybe find a way to donate some of her books to schoolchildren, or make a video, or have a day for Sutcliff fans to come together and see where she wrote or a place she wrote about? There’s got to be many more ways to spread the love of this amazing author, and I hope you’ll keep us posted and allow us to help you with whatever plans you make!
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Sorry for the duplicate. Pls delete the bottom one, if possible.
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Hmmm, just brainstorming, rt now, not really sure how it might take shape…
First, naturally, a page and a timeline for each of Rosemary’s books. Also a timeline for her life in general, documenting residences, travels, where she did most of her research (libraries, museums, etc.), favorite places, favorite causes, preferred clothing, foods, restaurants, pubs, authors, reading and movie genres, etc., i.e., who was Rosemary as an individual?? Together with her health issues, did she have a favorite doctor? Her books seemed to reflect a respect and a regard for the physically and mentally “handicapped.”
Also, perhaps a page for each individual ethnic group (foods, dress, traditions, culture, mythology, religion, etc.) brought to the fore by Rosemary?
Examples might be “The Little Dark People” (my personal fave), Epidii, Dalriads (Scoti?), Caledonii, Other proto-British tribes (Dumnonii, Selgovae, Brigantes, Iceni, etc.), Vikings, Irish tribes, Saxons, Jutes, Angles, Normans, etc., etc.
Last of all a quasi-genealogy might be enjoyable. From which of her beloved “peoples” (from her books) might she have been descended?
Just some thoughts,
Best,
zoozoo24
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