The Somme

I’ve just returned from a trip to the Somme. It was an incredibly moving experience. Not only was it research for the novel but also family research; my grandfather served in the RAMC. In terms of the memorials and cemeteries, it didn’t matter how much I had read and seen on the internet there was no substitution for actually being there. Particularly those cemeteries that mark advanced dressing stations where my grandfather worked. The scale of the losses is really brought home when standing at Thiepval or the Pozières Cemetery. There has been an impact on my writing in several ways. Firstly, there are some minor changes to be made in terms of the plot – visits to various museums highlighted some things that my protagonist just would not have or could not have done. Secondly, the novel has come alive for me. Although some of the villages I visited were completely destroyed, some of the towns further back still retain some buildings that my protagonist would have seen. But it’s more than that; there is something about the essence of the place. Finally, I am aware of the responsibility of writing about this period. There is a fine line between story, memory and memorial.