Witchland writing inspiration: Legends of Albion.

The Story of the British People in Pictures, inspiration for Legends of Albion in WITCHLAND.

She drew in the dry, crisp scent of books. Sunlight streamed in through the massive glass windows, warming the air and filling the room with radiance. So many books, so many worlds and dreams waiting to be discovered in this room, packed into bookcases reaching to the ceiling. Just gazing at them brought a sense of wealth and peace. Eliza still cherished memories of sitting in here with Father whilst he read to her from ‘Legends of Albion,’ his warm rich voice bringing the tales of Arthur, Merlin and Lord Morgan Le Fae to life.

Extract from WITCHLAND by Juno Goldstone.

When I’m writing, it’s fun to sometimes sneak in references to things that have inspired me. Mainly because it’s fun to write about them, but I also hope my enthusiasm for these details helps bring the world to life on the page.

Lots of books fed my hunger for stories when I was a child. A particular favourite was The Story of the British People in Pictures (pictured above). I think it was a prize that Dad won during his school days. Our family copy was pretty old and worn by the time I got to it. To me, a kid who loved history and art, this was a treasure chest filled with brief paragraphs that gave glimpses into different historical eras. Each was matched with a picture showing a significant event, and I used to practise my drawing by copying some of them.

I still have that old book, too fragile to be read now. We obtained a newer copy when Dad got nostalgic about it. Dad died in 2017, and whenever I look at The Story of the British People in Pictures, there’s a sense of comfort, of continuity, because this was a book that he had in his youth. It doesn’t matter to me that it’s old-fashioned and rather battered now; it’s a link between us. I wanted to ‘immortalise’ it, so I sneaked a similar history book into my novel.

In WITCHLAND, Eliza has fond memories of her father reading her stories from Legends of Albion, the historical account of the great druid Merlin’s first lifetime,* written by King Arthur’s druid foster-brother, Kai. Eliza’s mother didn’t entirely approve – since the Witch Rising that placed the first Anne Boleyn on the throne, druids have been enemies to witches – but Legends of Albion remains a link to Eliza’s cherished past.

Will also grew up reading the adventures in Legends of Albion, the stories feeding his love of folklore. I wanted this book to be the first hint that Eliza and Will, who come from very different social spheres, might have something in common.

* Legends of Albion is also a nod to one of my favourite TV series (BBC’s The Adventures of Merlin), though my Merlin is very different, a lot older and battle-worn after many lifetimes serving Albion (renamed Witchland after the Witch Rising). Dad and I used to watch The Adventures of Merlin together. It’s a series that has so many wonderful storytelling elements: adventure, magic, humour, friendship, found family, romance, and mythology. The central story is compelling: two young men, who dislike each other on first meeting, become loyal friends who repeatedly risk their lives for each other, and dream of building a better world. Sheer magic!