Robin Hood is probably the most famous legendary outlaw in the world. He
is portrayed in a myriad ballads, books and films as an amazing archer who wore
green clothes and who led a merry band of men. Of course, he robbed the rich
and gave to the poor.
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| Peter Morrison |
Writer Peter Morrison does not think it was as simple as that. The main
character of his recent novella A Lonely
Road, which is set in the year 1214, is not Robin Hood, who is dead and
buried at its beginning, but a young advocate, Thomas Sturdy, who comes across
his grave in the forest. He goes on to conduct a full investigation, conducting
interviews with those who associated with the dead man, like a certain William
Scarlet.
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| Douglas Fairbanks and Enid Bennett in 1922 |
He will be reading from his book and explaining his research at a free
preliminary ‘Between the Lines’ event (with refreshments) for Headingley LitFest at 7pm on Thursday
17 November in Headingley Library. The main part of the annual LitFest (the tenth!) will be next
March.
Northern England at a time of political flux and shifting loyalties is
evoked in startling detail in this book. It all feels very authentic and it helps make it a proper
page-turner. Copies will be on sale.
Peter Morrison lives in Keighley and is Chairman of Airedale Writers’ Circle.
He comments: "The novella is making a comeback – not before time.
Few doorstop novels seem to get read to the end. I wanted to write a short but
intricate story which held the reader's interest all the way while evoking a
sense of the distant past. Hopefully a work of fiction with a difference."
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