To a Fellow History Girl and Friend by L.J. Trafford

On the 25th October I received some very sad news, Ruth Downie had died. Ruth was the author of the Medicus series of Roman Britain set murder mysteries and a fellow History Girl from 2018-2023. I thought it was fitting that I use my History Girls slot to pay tribute to Ruth.

I had known of Ruth long before I met her in the flesh. I'd read the first of her Medicus series of novels set in Roman Britain, Ruso and the Dancing Girls and enjoyed it so much I waited eagerly for each new installment. Why did I love them so much? Because they are super entertaining and funny. In Ruth's books Romans don't make speeches at each other like they do in those Sword and Sandals films of old, no they have actual conversations with each other. Her characters are believable, human, and identifiable despite living in very different times to ours.

Their tone might have been light, but the Medicus series contained some serious hardcore research. Not that you would notice, too caught up in the story to consciously spot you were in a history lesson. It's a knack that not every historical fiction writer has, to impart detailed information about the period without bombarding the reader with everything you learnt whilst researching; Ruth had the knack.


I admired her writing greatly and I count her, along with Lindsey Davis and Allan Massie, as the writers who most inspired my own Four Emperor Series of novels. All three of them made ancient Rome accessible, human and funny.

I was delighted, nay stunned when the Ruth Downie, author of those books I'd devoured, agreed to write a blurb for the back cover of my first novel, Palatine. I couldn't believe that a writer of her calibre and success would take the time to read a book from a very small publisher written by a complete unknown who'd never had anything published before. But she did.

Shortly afterwards we were both attendees at the Historical Novel Society Annual Conference. This was my first step as a published author into the writing world. I had a horrible attack of imposter syndrome the moment I looked at anyone's name badge and realised I was chatting to a proper author, a proper writer, one whose books I had seen in actual shops and reviewed in newspapers. Why on earth were they bothering to talk to me?

Ruth (credit to her own website)

Queuing up for the toilets, cringing behind yet another proper writer whose books I had read, I heard a cheery voice enquire, "LJ Trafford?" It was Ruth exiting the loos and having spotted my name badge she stopped for a chat. Now the queue for the ladies is not the most glamourous of locations to hold a conversation but Ruth took the time to recount how she'd been searching for me so she could to tell me face to face that she'd enjoyed reading my book. I was taken aback by this gesture, how kind and generous it was.

I came to learn that this was Ruth all over, supportive, kind and generous to her fellow writers, when we became members of the same gang.

Ruth sitting opposite LJ Trafford, Alison Morton & Alex Gough

I've always wanted to be part of a gang, not an inner city, county lines style one, because I've seen 24 Hours in Police Custody and no good ever comes of it, but rather a gang of pals, of likeminded people who get together for a specific purpose, each member bringing a specific skill set. 

There's your solving mysteries gang such as Scooby-Doo and his human friends. Velma bringing brains, Daphne bringing beauty, Fred bringing the brawn and Shaggy bringing the scoobie snacks (because somebody had to). Elsewhere inspired by Scooby-Doo (and which of us can truly say that we weren't) Joss Wheedon created the Scooby Gang for hit TV Series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The Scoobies fought vampires and other supernatural beasties whilst making terribly witty quips in a way that 17-year-olds never have in the history of all time.

Children's literature and TV are full of gangs from Enid Blyton's Famous Five and Secret Seven to the Harry Potter trio of Harry, Ron and the girl one. Musicals have provided with memorable and unthreatenIng gangs prone to bursting into songs, such as Pink Ladies and The T Byrds from Grease.

Even the ultimate anti-social introvert, Sherlock Holmes got in on the gang scene with the Baker Street irregulars. Gangs are everywhere.


It was not until my 40s that I got my wish to be part of a gang. Our common bond was that we all really liked ancient Rome. We liked it so much we'd all written books about it and we travelled about the country standing in tents behind trestle tables piled high with those books we'd written in ex-Roman towns like York, Colchester and Leicester. There were six core members (although many others were suckered into our orbit) SJA (Simon) Turney & his wife Tracey (arch organiser and bringer of sandwiches), Alex Gough, Alison Morton, Ruth Downie and me.

  

Authors not in a tent for once. Ruth is on the far left

We each brought our own skill set in the type of books we write, they may all have ancient Rome in common but between us we have produced mystery stories, adventure tales, books set amongst the legions, in the provinces, in the Emperors court and in a modern day Roman Empire that didn't fall.
Here again I witnessed Ruth's generosity in action as she directed the crowd of fans crowding her stall to 'check out LJ's books'.

An authors tent before the punters arrive

Although we only met up at most maybe two or three times a year we were the gang I'd always wanted to belong to. We hung around in those authors tents moaning about the state of publishing, sharing gossip, buying each other's latest book and scrawling a personal dedication in them. We sat on panels working together to field questions from super Roman enthusiasts. We had long meals together in the evening chatting away for hours.

In-between festivals we were still a gang, promoting each others books, writing reviews and blurbs, recommending each other for speaking or writing gigs, helping each other in any way we could.


It was a great gang to be a member of and Ruth was at its heart. I will never forget Ruth's kindness to my Mum when she accompanied me to the York Eboracum Festival. She chatted away to her, putting her at ease in the sometimes strange world of Roman festivals, making her feel welcome. As we were all packing up our stuff at the end of the Festival Ruth came over and said to my Mum, "Of course you will be coming to Colchester, Christine." My Mum had just been anointed as a gang member.

Authors and tent, again

Rest in peace Ruth, and thank you for the support you freely offered , your generosity of spirit, for the fun and the laughter and for Valens, who was always my favourite character in the Medicus books even though I know he is a horrible person in many ways

On the bill

Buy Ruth's books here   
L.J. Trafford



L.J. Trafford writes about Romans alot and Greeks a little. Amazon.co.uk: L. J. Trafford: books, biography, latest update