South African writer Marguerite Poland on being shortlisted

18th May, 2020

Watch Marguerite Poland reading from A Sin of Omission in our exclusive video:

And read her thoughts on being shortlisted for the Prize:

Hearing I was shortlisted for the Walter Scott Prize was a moment of great gratitude and joy. I was truly astonished because my work is relatively unknown outside South Africa and much of South Africa’s early history still obscure – even (or especially!) to its own citizens. Realising that my story had proved accessible and appreciated elsewhere is truly gratifying. Much of my previous work (not all of it is fiction), has involved historical research but I have not considered myself specifically as a historical novelist.

When I was a young girl an elderly great uncle told me the story of one of his missionary grandfather’s African students (circa 1870s), the poignant fragments of which I never forgot. Many years later, when researching for a commissioned institutional history, I came across material which I realized was the same as the story I had heard. I followed the leads, uncovering characters and events recorded only in obscure and disparate sources – an extraordinary journey of coincidence and connection which included not only the history of a particular man, his time and community about which very little seemed to be known but also the history of my own family and the part it played in that story.

If there had been fewer gaps in the record I might have attempted a biography. I was very aware of the challenges and responsibility in writing outside my time, particular culture and gender. This is especially important in South Africa where ‘appropriation’ in cultural terms, is understandably a highly sensitive issue. Rigorous research was essential. The research is the part of any project I love the most and comes long before the imagining! The internal life of a character is where the fiction necessarily comes in as well as forging some of the links between historical events. The human story, if well-informed in terms of context, gives history intimacy, makes it memorable and accessible. I suppose the fiction animates the facts.

Q: Do you think historical fiction can help in times of crisis like these? What are you reading at home right now?

Historical fiction has an important role to play and can be profoundly influential. An example is Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin which had a seismic effect in challenging slavery. There are dozens of famous examples in every language.

At this time of worldwide lockdown the size of  Hilary Mantel’s trilogy will immerse me in a vibrant world without distraction. And, of course, I am looking forward to reading the work shortlisted for this year’s Walter Scott Prize. A feast in store!