2009 – Interview 1: Death of a Chief
This is your first venture in to the world of fiction, why did you decide to write Death of a Chief, and what was the inspiration behind the story?
I’ve always loved both history and fiction. It just happened that I had a history book published first (The Price of Scotland) and the novel is appearing second. It could have happened the other way round! The original inspiration for the story was a man I came across during my historical research, an Edinburgh lawyer called John MacKenzie of Delvine. He was a Gaelic speaking advocate in the late 17th century who worked for a large number of clients. Very little is known about him as a man, but I thought he seemed like an interesting character to base a detective on.
I hope to achieve two main things with the novel. Firstly I want to tell an interesting tale in the adventure story/thriller genre. Secondly, I want to take the reader through the fascinating world of late 17th centuryScotland. I’ve tried to do this without labouring the history too much, letting the conversations of the characters open up the major themes of the period and the differences and similarities with our own time.
Why did you chose 1680s Edinburgh as a setting for the story?
I know the period very well from my historical research. I did a PhD at EdinburghUniversityon the relationship between Highland chiefs and Edinburghlawyers in the 17th century (Chiefs, Lawyers and Debt), so it seemed natural to set the novel in a period I was familiar with. For me the 17th century is the great historical period. A clash between two worlds occurred as the old order fragmented and the modern world was born. For example, in the 17th century there are joint stock investors who are also witch hunters, and scientists who are also alchemists. The juxtaposition between differing world views provides a very interesting backdrop for fiction.
This is the first book in a series, where will it go from here?
I’m busy writing a second book at the moment with the same two principal characters (John MacKenzie and Davie Scougall). The provisional title is Testament of a Witch. It’s a year after the first book – 1687. A witch hunt is brewing inEast Lothian. The wife and daughter of one of MacKenzie’s clients are accused. Scougall and MacKenzie investigate.
I’d like to keep the series progressing through the late 17th century and even into the early 18th century (one a year – maybe until 1707!). I’ve already begun to plot out a third book set in late 1688 at the time of the Glorious Revolution, mixing murder and politics. The idea is that each book, as well as being an interesting story, will deal with a particular historical subject. Death of a Chief is concerned with Highland chiefs and debt. Other books will cover alchemy, freemasonry, Jacobitism, Darien etc.
What can you tell us about John MacKenzie and DavieScougall?
John MacKenzie is a Gaelic speaking Highlander who trained as an advocate in Edinburghand works as a clerk of the Court of Session, as well as looking after a large number of clients. He is 55 and has one daughter. His wife died in childbirth. His views anticipate the Enlightenment of the 18th century. He loves philosophy, gardens, golf and literature. However, despite his devotion to reason he is haunted by the emotional turmoil of his past (which is slowly revealed in the books) and sometimes suffers from crippling melancholy. He is also a bit full of himself, but like most detectives he’s a dedicated seeker of the truth.
MacKenzie’s character contrasts with his sidekick Davie Scougall, a young Presbyterian Lowlander, who reflects the prejudices and superstitions of the time. The dialogue between the two of them highlights some of the intellectual and religious debates of the period.
You’ve written award winning history books before, how do you think your knowledge of Scottish history helped with this story?
Hopefully because I’m very familiar with the period I can bring it alive for those who don’t have detailed knowledge of the late 17th century or who know nothing about Scottish history. Most of the characters are fictional but the setting is anchored in historical reality and the books will be dictated by the historical events of late 17th centuryScotland.
Interview 2: Testament of a Witch
[August 26, 2011,14:30. RBS Corner Theatre, Edinburgh International Book Festival. After the talk with Stewart Clark titled: Fictional Tales of Dramatic Histories]
What authors would you say have influenced your writing?
Well I suppose Samuel Pepys would be one. His diary gave me an excellent idea of what it was like to live at the close of the 17th century. Walter Scott and Robert Stevenson were of course influences. The detective fiction that is now such a large part of the Scottish literary scene was of less impact. I prefer the classics, though I have a fondness for John Updike.
Did you find your own writing, namely your thesis on Highland Chiefs and the debt network in sixteenth and seventieth centuryScotland, a motivation for writing Testament of a Witch?
Well I’ve been interested in that time period for some time; where the Scottish enlightenment meets superstition, where a man can be an advocate and practice the law but also be a witch hunter at the same time. My thesis gave me a platform on which to work on and it seemed like common sense to write fiction in that era too. It was my first novel Death of a Highland Chief that incorporated much of what I had learnt at University, but to a lesser extent Testament of a Witch channeled much of the historical and sociological knowledge I had gleaned from working on my thesis as well.
Why is it that you write fiction? What impact do you hope that your books will have on others?
I think my primary goal is to entertain; to be accessible and to allow my characters to develop within a situation naturally. My first book, The Price of Scotland, was very academic, with long, elaborate footnotes. In subsequent work, in my fiction, I have tried to tone that down somewhat. I strive for accuracy but not at the cost of ruining the story. I am helped in this by not having chosen a famous, particular incident or character to write about, so I am less constrained by what biographers or historians might object to. I hope people reading my novels are inclined to find out more about Scottish history.
Are you working on anything at the moment?
No, not at the moment, though I have been thinking of writing something that strikes a balance between my academic work and my fiction: say, an accessible history book targeted at a mainstream audience. Avoiding, of course, the many pitfalls that area of writing opens up.
Douglas Watt 