Being There

In what is arguably one of the most flawed essays ever written about writing, in his February 14th column in The Guardian, lawyer-turned-journalist Marcel Berlins asks, “Can you think of a great novel that takes place where the author has never been?”

The matter comes up in the wake of Stef Penney’s Costa win for The Tenderness of Wolves, which is set in Canada in the middle of the 19th century. For some reason, the novel seems to never be mentioned in the press without further mention of the fact that Penney suffers from agoraphobia and did no research in person.

Penney, a sufferer from agoraphobia, had been unable to travel to Canada, where her book is set. She conducted all her research in the British Library. No doubt some Canadian readers with experience of their country’s wilderness in winter will point out that Penney hasn't got it quite right. They will be small in number compared to readers who would be ignorant of any mistakes or, if they knew, would not care. To me, though, her lack of direct knowledge matters. As a reader, I feel short-changed and disappointed. When place plays an important part in a story, I expect the writer to have been there. Admittedly, Penney's book is set in 1867, but I still would have felt more satisfied if she had absorbed the atmosphere, the cold and the scenery at first hand. She, at least, had an excuse for not doing so.

I’ve found these continuous mentions of Penney’s agoraphobia tiresome all along. After all, it is fact that, at this point, no one can visit Canada in 1867. One could argue that -- having immersed herself in research and taken pains to bring the era to life -- Canada as it was likely exists more accurately in Penney’s mind than it does in reality. And, yes, agoraphobia is a thing, but I’m not sure it’s a thing that is relevant to the story of the creation of The Tenderness of Wolves. Let’s face it, no one ever complains that J.K. Rowling has never visited Hogwarts and certainly no conditions of health stop her from doing so.

Nor are Penney and Rowling alone in not having visited the places they write about. In fact, history is packed with examples of authors who have done just that. You can see Berlins’ Guardian column here. While you’re there, make sure you scroll all the way down and read some of the comments. Apparently, I’m not alone in thinking this one was silly.