On The Trail of Cleopatra: Part 2 by Lucy Coats

Today, the tenth day of our our Shakespeare month, we welcome a return visitor, Lucy Coats. She talks here about the research she did for the second of the novels she has written about "The serpent of old Nile." What would Shakespeare have made of the youth of his fascinating Egyptian queen? We like to think he would have relished it. Welcome, Lucy!

In my last post for The History Girls, I talked about the importance of research. For the second of my two Cleopatra novels, CHOSEN, it was even more vital for me to get it as right as I could – and in some ways even harder to do so. The research I had to do for the first book took me to the depths of ancient Alexandria (almost literally), and to Philäe. This time my Cleo had a longer journey, to Crocodilopolis in the Fayum, across the White Desert and back and then on to Rome. The challenges of portraying such a wide-ranging panorama of settings in an authentic way without information overkill were considerable.


Luckily for me, there was quite a lot of information available about Crocodilopolis (now Medinet al Fayum) and its deities, Sobek and his snake wife Renenutet. I also discovered that it housed a physical representation of Sobek in the form of the holy Petsuchos, a living crocodile draped in gems and gold. How could I resist including him?

'Right in the middle, there lay a behemoth of a crocodile, its armoured coat shimmering with jewels, its claws painted gold...'

 Creative Commons: Norbert Nagel, Mörfelden-Walldorf, Germany

For the trip across the desert, I pored over maps, watched endless camel-riding videos, and travel documentaries on ancient tribespeople, as well as seeking out technical advice on what to do in the event of being caught in a sandstorm (THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO SURVIVAL HANDBOOK provided the answer). The crucial figures were how far a camel could travel in a day – and the distances between oases. I could now probably find my way blindfold round the Oasis of Siwa (known then as the Oasis of the Oracle).

Cretaive Commons: Edwardwexler

My greatest challenge, however, was Rome. While there is, of course, a whole canon of literature on life and times in the Ancient Rome of Pompey, Caesar and Marcus Antonius, what I needed was more specific. I needed to know exactly where the consul Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (aka Pompey the Great) lived in Rome in 56BCE. The evidence I found from writing of the time told me that Cleo’s father, Ptolemy Auletes, had been given the villa next door to live in during his exile – and that’s where Cleo needed to get to. I could have made it up, of course, but my inner historian would not let me get away with the easy path. Although I could not go to Egypt (because it was too dangerous to visit the places I needed to see), I could and did visit the seven-hilled city. I had lived there in the late 1970s, but hadn’t been back since, and there was a lot I’d forgotten. So, armed with comfortable shoes and maps, I trudged up and down, feeling the stones of Rome under my feet, and also standing on top of the Tarpeian Rock (which I needed for a dramatic assassination attempt). There is a wonderful resource called Digital Augustan Rome which helped pinpoint the exact spot (NOT where the DK Guide has it, by the way). I stood looking down towards the Forum, and imagined Cleo’s wretched little sister, Arsinoë, attempting to push her over. A true vindictive Ptolemy, that one, from all accounts – I can’t blame Cleopatra for having her murdered in 41BCE.

But where was Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus’s residence to be found? For that I had to play geographical detective and reconstruct clues from another source – Samuel Ball Platner and Thomas Ashby’s truly heroic work, A Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome. Pompey’s house was not at all easy to track down – but because I knew who and what I was looking for, eventually I pinpointed him to the Valley of the Suburra, near the temple of Tellus, on the Esquiline.. I even found out that his house was decorated with the prows of the pirate ships he had defeated in 68BCE after they had attacked the port of Ostia.The next year he moved to a much grander house near to the Theatre of Pompey. I am probably a sad geek, but that was one of the most satisfying pieces of research I’ve ever done – there is nothing to beat feet on the ground, smelling the air, and seeing the flora and fauna, which don’t change much. There are still Pinoli trees and seagulls in Rome.

Did Cleopatra actually go to Rome before her time with Julius Caesar? There is a small amount of evidence to suggest that Pompey and Caesar certainly knew her as a girl – and speculation that she went to fetch her father back at the end of his exile. We simply don’t know, and never will – but holes in history are for filling, in my opinion – and I hope the way I tell this part of my Cleo’s story is at least plausible.

I’m sad to leave Cleopatra behind – but I’ve got her to the throne now, and she’s walked off into the history books. Her story from now on is one where other people have trodden a well-worn path. It’s time for me to bow out and leave her to her glory.

'Thou shalt be as mighty, divine stars in the land, and thy diadem shall shine forth as the rays of Ra.' From The Book of the Dead

You can find out more about Lucy on her website: http://lucy@lucycoats.com and she is also on Twitter and Instagram. CHOSEN is published by Orchard Books.

Thanks, Lucy, for taking Michelle Lovric's spot to write about Cleopatra, the camels, the crocodiles and the possible journey to Rome. The book certainly enabled you to write about a Marcus Antonius!

Cleo rides again or How to have a historical launch party by Mary Hoffman

You remember that our May guest was Lucy Coats? She talked about the masses of research she had done for her latest YA novel, Cleo (published by Orchard). Well, last month the book was thoroughly launched at the Thames-side apartment of a friend, which is rapidly becoming the go-to venue for all History Girls and their guests.



The first rule of any launch party: get a book cake made!

On the left, the fabulous cover of Cleo designed by Thy Bui. On the right, the equally fabulous cake made by a friend of Lucy's (this one was hand-painted but there are sites you can find in the Internet which will make you a cake topper based on a photograph).

The room was dressed with appropriate detail:

As was the author:

The inventive canapés were labelled things like "Bastet balls" and "Sobek Surprises" and the prosecco flowed. You can name the most ordinary nibbles acording to your book's theme - they don't have to be as spectacular as these actually were. Even a Twiglet will sound more exciting as a "Devil Stick" if your novel happens to be about the persucution of witches.

So, what to do if you don't have a friend with a fabulous apartment? Candy Gourlay recently wrote about book launches (and she has attended a couple by the Thames) and makes it clear that you cut your party coat according to your cloth. Those readers of this who aren't writers might be surprised to discover that we have been organising these things ourselves. "Isn't that what publishers' publicity departments do?" I hear you ask.

The fact is that publisher launches are increasingly rare and if you want a splash, you must part with some cash. Many bookshops, especially the independents will be having to host your party without charging room hire as long as you organise the food, drink and glasses. And your editor will graciously come and say a few words, relieved that you haven't thrown an author wobbly and deminded cocktails at the Ritz.

And if you've written a historical novel, so much the better, as these lend themselves best of all to a little room-dressing and indeed dressing up.

Nothing says Ancient Egypt like a few gingerbread pyramids on a tray of soft brown sugar sand! And a quick trawl of the Internet will bring you some essential items, like a pink plastic flamingo:

And if you are shy and averse to dressing up, you can usually count on some young people to do it for you. What you can't avoid is the "author reading" unless you have an actor friend to do it for you. Your public (i.e. all the happy friends at your party) will expect it.

And who are these people? You will invite some journalists and reviewers in a spirit of hope for some attention to your book but you will be lucky if one or two show up. Bloggers are usually happy to come so choose some who write about your genre or books for the age group your title is for. But paper the room with your nearest and dearest, family and close friends, who will be genuinely happy for your book and listen with rapt attention to the reading.

But beware of cultural differences when checking your RSVP list: I recently discovered it's customary to bring a "Plus One" to parties even when that hasn't been specified on the invitation - a complete no-no in the UK.

If your launch isn't in a bookshop, see if you can get an independent bookseller to come along with copies for sale. It spreads the word and people are very amenable to buying books when mellow with wine and charmed by your set dressing ideas.

Above all, enjoy yourself! You've written and published a full-length book, something that thousands of people dream of doing and very few achieve. Let your hair down - maybe twist it up into an elegant style or wear a hat or a wig, like the amazing Sarah McIntyre. (try the About or Events pages to see what I mean!)

My next launch will be of Shakespeare's Ghost and I'm definitely willing to dress up. But I need a beautiful young man and a baldy with a beard to be the bard. Any offers?

May Competition

To win one of five copies of Lucy Coats' YA novel Cleo, just answer the following question:


"Who is your favourite female character from ancient history or mythology - and why?"


Put your answers in the Comments section below and copy them to readers@maryhoffman.co.uk so that winners can be contacted.

Bonus: in addition to a book the very best answer will receive a stunning Cleo mug.

Closing date is 7th June. We are sorry but our competitions are open only to UK readers.

On The Trail Of Cleopatra by Lucy Coats

Photo credit: Peter van den Berg

Our May guest is Lucy Coats, friend to many History Girls and lover of all things mythological. Welcome, Lucy, and thanks for filling in the background to your new YA novel.

Lucy Coats has written over 30 children's books for all ages, and has also worked as an editor, journalist and bookseller. She has just published a YA novel, Cleo, a paranormal/historical fantasy about the teenage Cleopatra, as well as a new mythological middle-grade series Beasts of Olympus. Lucy lives with her husband and three out-of-control dogs in a house mostly furnished with too many books.

The Art of Researching a YA novel

I cannot imagine writing a book on any subject and NOT researching it. For me, research enables me to write from a position of knowledge. Even if I don't use much of the material I find (and I am always aware of the dreaded sin of 'info dumping'), the fact is that I need to know this stuff, even if my reader doesn't. I am always aware of the reader at my shoulder, especially my teenage reader. So what I put in has to be interesting, relevant, and germane to the story in some way. For a YA novel, a light touch with facts is essential.

With Cleo I gave myself a huge task from the outset. Writing a novel about a real historical personage is always tricky - and more so if it's a personage about whom everyone has their own view and opinion. When I decided to take on (arguably) the most famous woman in the ancient world - Cleopatra - for my first proper YA novel, I had no idea what I was letting myself in for, research-wise. Not only did I choose to write about her undocumented younger life (before she slides into the historical records), but I also chose to mix history with fantasy, and bring in the Ancient Egyptian pantheon. I knew that the former gave me a certain amount of leeway - if I wanted to write a story within a 'hole in history' where the gods helped her to the pharaoh's throne, then I could do that without fear of being contradicted. But even if I had no historical 'facts' to go on, I was determined on one thing. This book would give my readers as proper a 'feel' of Ancient Egyptian life and customs as I could provide.

Cartouche of Cleopatra's name in the House of Horus at Edfu - Wikimedia commons

 I don't read Latin well (or Greek at all), but there are many good translations of Lucan's Pharsalia - a fertile source for descriptions of royal banquets (see quote below), and one I plundered shamelessly for my own purposes. I didn't need to invent any of the party and feast scenes in the book - the real descriptions I found in the research were much more magnificently opulent than I could ever have imagined (and I'm not even showing you the bits about wreaths of nard and roses, and cinnamon hair oil!).

'Jewels glittered on the couches; the cups, tawny with jasper, loaded the tables, and sofas were bright with coverlets of diverse colors - most had been steeped in Tyrian dye and took their hue from repeated soakings, while others were embroidered with bright gold, and others blazed with scarlet.' 

An Egyptian Feast by Edwin Long - Wikimedia commons

Then there was Cassius Dio - writing two hundred years after Cleopatra, true, and also through the somewhat skewed lens of a Roman triumphalism which considered my heroine a dangerously seductive witch. He was an important primary source, and had seen earlier (and now destroyed) evidence from Cleo's time, as had Plutarch. It was little quotes like the one below which set my mind whirring for the Roman scenes I needed to write for the second book, Chosen, which will follow next year.

'For Caesar and Pompey had known [Cleopatra] when she was still a girl and inexperienced in affairs.'

When did Caesar and Pompey meet her? Did she accompany her father into exile in Rome - or did she perhaps join him there? I spent some time recently following a trail which theorised that she did, and put my own spin on it to suit the purpose of my story.

Cleopatra making an offering to Isis (Louvre) - Wikimedia commons

 If reconstructing a historical personage was difficult, so too was reconstructing the physical landscape around her. I have some experience in tracking down 'ancient historical geography', gained during the writing of my Atticus the Storyteller book on Greek myths, but mostly I didn't have to describe those locations in too much detail. This time, I had a whole royal palace to reconstruct, plus the most important library in the ancient world - the Great Library of Alexandria. I made several serendipitous discoveries along the way, including one which would be crucial to both books. Ptolemy I Soter, when he built Alexandria, included a series of cisterns under the royal palace, connected by narrow passages. What better way to allow people to sneak about unnoticed?

The Great Library was destroyed either during or soon after Cleopatra's reign, but I took the view that as an educated woman who spoke several languages, and studied mathematics and much else, she would have spent time there. So I had to find out how they stored the scrolls (in custom made cubbyholes), and who might have been working there in Cleo's time (I dug out Apollonius of Tyre, who appears briefly in the book as one of her ex-tutors).

Research is time-consuming, and mine has taken me from the bigger questions of geography and physical descriptions of journeys and modes of transport up and down the Nile through costume, jewellery, make-up, puffer-fish poison, embalming techniques, songs sung by ancient Nile boatmen, the ancient board game of senet, temple ceremonies, weapons, armour, soil types, flora, fauna and much more. Some totally fascinating facts have had to be discarded, unused, but that's all right. They will simply go into my vast store of 'useless knowledge', to be brought out at some opportune later moment.

Senet pieces - Wikimedia Commons

However much research I've done, though, however many dusty books I've read and scholarly articles I've trawled through, one thing had to come first. I had the opportunity to make Cleopatra come alive for a new generation, in a way that had not been tried before. Not everyone will agree with the way I've done it - my Cleo's 'voice', for instance, is quite modern in tone - but there is one thing I hope everyone who reads it will recognise. I've done my damnedest to get the backdrop to my story right! When I wrote the initial synopsis for the first book, this is what I said:

'I want my readers to smell the harshness of the hot, dusty winds of the simoom (the ‘poison wind’), to feel the way its gritty residue gets into clothes and nostrils, ears and eyes and to know that its touch is a curse of dryness, not a blessing of coolness in the fierce heat of a desert day.

I want them to be desperate for the soothing touch of blood-warm water mixed with camels’ milk and rosepetals on their skin—and want to try for themselves the only recipe that works for keeping a young princess-priestess’s complexion dewy and glowing. I want them to see the way sun turns blazing white against a blue sky in which Egyptian Vultures (Pharoah’s Chickens) soar on the thermals and wait for something to die down below.

I want them to look over the shoulder of the embalmer as he learns his trade on the linen-wrapped body of a young priestess—to smell the herbs he uses, to hear the sound of pestle and mortar grinding the sacred and secret preparations that preserve the shell of the body for the afterlife.

I want them to feel the way the stifling, incense-laden air in the dark corridors of the royal palace in Alexandria presses down on a person and makes everything slow and confusing—to blink with the shock of light reflecting off gold and lapis and a million jewels as they enter the blinding magnificence of the Great Throne Room.'

Only if I've actually succeeded in taking my teenage reader away from the 21st century for a while, and made her feel some of these things, will I know that I've done my job as a writer.

You can find out more about Lucy at:

www.lucycoats.com and also on Twitter at @lucycoats