Marking a year
Thoughts, thanks, plans and possibilities
More of a note than a post, this one (hence, with apologies, no audio), but I didn’t want today to go by without marking the date: exactly a year ago I waved hello to The H Files.
I have brilliant friends to thank for that. Dan Jones (who always knows where it’s at) had been telling me for years that the water was lovely. Lucy Worsley (who always knows what to do) held my hand while I teetered into the shallows. Among those already engaged in immaculate freestyle I found old friends (if you’re not yet reading Mathew Lyons, please correct the situation immediately) and made new ones (looking at you, Henry Oliver).
Most of all, I’ve found readers, which has been a delight, a wonder, and a shot in the arm. THANK YOU to everyone subscribing (past, present and future).
Just before I spend a happy half-hour adding links to that first post to see how many of the things I said I’d do I’ve actually done, before working out what the next year has in store, I have some notes and notices.
From 5–10 April Dan and I will be sailing down the Seine from Paris to the sea and back again, stopping at the most fascinating places, and talking about medieval history ALL THE WAY. News hot off the press is that two cabins on the (otherwise sold-out) ship have just become available. If you might like one (or both!) of them, the excellent Author Fan Travel can give you all the details: click here for more. Please do join us: it’ll be FUN.
Meanwhile, Dan already has me doing my homework. Because he’s one of the best people in the world and has known me for a Very Long Time, he knew there could be no better prep for our arrival in Paris than BUILDING NOTRE-DAME.
In case you might be worrying that this isn’t a rigorously historical project, here’s Senior Designer Rok Žgalin Kobe:
These instructions will guide you through the building process, with each brick carefully placed to correspond with a specific architectural element in the original cathedral. With every bag you complete, you will see a model of a specific point in time in the construction of the cathedral, from 1163 to today.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be documenting eight and a half centuries of architectural progress. I hope you’ll join me.
What else?
I’ve mentioned before that I’m attempting to lure my husband, Ken Babstock (poet), onto Substack. He hardly ever writes prose poems, but in his last collection there’s one about Emily Brontë and her dog Keeper, which would make a perfect discourse-adjacent post for this Wuthering Heights week. I’ll keep trying.
And while I do, I should say he’s a) brilliant and b) currently taking on projects as a freelance editor, mentor and teacher, now at a new email address. Drop him a line if you’re working on poetry or prose in English, anywhere in the world, and could do with some expert help.
That’s almost it – other than to say that I’ve just received copies of this beautiful thing:
I have one to give away, if any Polish readers (or friends of Polish readers) might like it? If so, please raise a hand in the comments – and if more than one hand goes up I’ll draw a name out of a hat.
It’s typical of Elizabeth that she should appear so magnificently on the cover of a book in which she appears only briefly. And now I’d better get back to work on the next one, in which she’ll be centre-stage from the beginning to the very end.
Congratulations on your first year Helen, it's bcome one of my favourite moments of the week when your post pops into my inbox, and I know I'm in for a treat. I'm loving learning so much from every single one, and adore your humorous take on things. xxxx
Congratulations on your first year. I enjoy all your posts but, have especially enjoyed reading the Paston letters with you. Thank you for guiding me through their fascinating lives.