Category: Influence and Inspiration

Posts at rosemarysutcliff.com about about people — especially authors — who were and are inspired and/or influenced by eminent writer Rosemary Sutcliff

Theatre director Emma Rice, of Kneehigh Theatre, speaks powerfully about story-telling

Anthony LawtonLeave a comment

I once tried unsuccessfully to entice the wonderful theatre director Emma Rice, of  the equally wonderful Kneehigh Theatre, to become interested in transforming some Rosemary Sutcliff stories into theatre stories. No matter: last night Emma presented a fascinating essay on radio in which, in the words of BBC,  she explored “the role of the director as storyteller” and “elaborates on the undertaking that transforms a text into a fully-fledged production”. Worth a listen by anyone as fascinated by and good at  story-telling as she – and Rosemary Sutcliff were.

Go to: BBC iPlayer | The Essay: On Directing | Emma Rice.

Kneehigh Theatre

Simon Scarrow dedicated Gladiator Fight for Freedom to Rosemary Sutcliff

Anthony LawtonLeave a comment

I had not realised that Simon Scarrow dedicated his novel Gladiator: Fight for Freedom to Rosemary Sutcliff

Dedication of Gladiator-Fight for Freedom by Simon Scarrow

Gladiator by Simon Scarrow, dedicated to Rosemary Sutcliff

Ben Kane, historical novelist, favourite author Rosemary Sutcliff | Interview in The Independent

Anthony LawtonLeave a comment

Choose a favourite author, and say why you admire her/him

Rosemary Sutcliff. I was probably no older than nine or ten when I read ‘The Eagle of the Ninth’ and it had a huge influence on me; it’s one of the reasons I ended up writing about Rome. I was so struck by her imagery of Hadrian’s Wall and the wilds of Scotland, and the idea of the soldiers disappearing there.

via One Minute With: Ben Kane, historical novelist | The Independent.

Rosemary Sutcliff’s The Mark of the Horse Lord loved by Cornish writer Anna Maria Murphy

Anthony Lawton2 Comments

I discovered in 2010 that renowned Cornish writer Anna Maria Murphy was a great fan of  Rosemary Sutcliff, author of children’s books and historical fiction. Anna writes for  Theatre, as well as radio.

As a girl and a young woman, Rosemary Sutcliff was my absolute favourite writer and The Mark Of The Horse Lord one of my favourite books of all time. She was unlike any other writer for young people … ahead of her time by generations. She was one of the reasons I wanted to write as a young person … I always wanted to meet her … I wrote to her once, and she sent a lovely reply, but I lost the letter many years ago.

Anna began to write for theatre to avoid playing a dog! Her writing for Kneehigh has included ‘Don John’, ‘The Bacchae’, ‘The Red Shoes’, ‘Tristan & Yseult’, ‘Skulduggery’, ‘Doubtful Island’ ‘Ghost Nets’, ‘Women Who Threw the Day Away’, ‘Telling Tales’, ‘Wild Bride’ (The Shamans) and the film ‘Flight’. She has also written for Theatre Alibi, Platform 4, Brainstorm Films, The Eden Project, and several plays for Radio 4.

(Re-post from 2010, slightly updated)

The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff a Philip Reeve favourite

Anthony LawtonLeave a comment

Philip Reeve, author of the Mortal Engines Quartet (Mortal Engines, Predator’s Gold, Infernal Devices and A Darkling Plain), told the The Book Base that some of his favourite books when he was a child were: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien; The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff, The Owl Service by Alan Garner, Asterix and Tin Tin, the Molesworth books…

via Author Interview: Philip Reeve | The Book Base.