Your Questions

Q

Just read Sword Song and loved it. Uthred now rivals Derfel for my favorite character in your books. I read it so darn quickly, though, that now I'm having Saxon withdrawal. Any idea when the next in the series will be? One more note. my jealousy of you living in my favorite place in the world intensified as we were unable to swing our summer vacation there this year. Oh to be on the cape! Bob McNamara

Just finished book 4 in your Saxon tales and was wondering if there is going to be a book 5? Also looking forward to Azincourt, Henry V is one of my favorite plays. Chip Ebel

Greetings just wonder when the sequel to "Sword Song" will released? It's painful waiting LOL!!!! Ps: The Warlord Chronicles were absolutely superb and coming from Sussex, England and living in New York it helps fight the city blues. Cheers, Mark

My students and I love the Saxon tales books, but we are desperate for the next one! When can we expect to see Uhtred again? Amy Duncan

I would just like to say what probably millions have said to you and that is I love your books, I have never laughed or cried so much or spent so much of my time thinking about a book before, I know you said your favourite is the Arthur books which are amazing but I do love Uhtred, are you writing a new one? Again just a thank you for creating such gripping characters and brilliant dialogue Frances Foley

A

I haven't started the next book of the Saxon stories, but it is most likely the next book I will write. If so, we'd hope to see it published in the UK in October 2009 (and possibly in the US in January 2010 ).


Q

Dear Bernard,is Nick Hook related to Thomas of Hookton? regards Nick.

A

He isn't. I took the name from the muster roll of the archers who really were at Agincourt and it just happened to be the name I liked best and, by coincidence, shared the Hook with Hookton


Q

I was very pleased to see that Sharpe's Peril is set to air this fall. Hopefully we can see it on BBC America here across the pond. Anyway, I noticed that on the Internet Movie Data Base site, one of the characters credited is "Corp. Barabbas Hakeswill". Does he appear in the books and is he related to Obadiah Hakeswell (perhaps a typo on the website?)? I'm just getting started reading the books, after having been introduced to the TV series on BBC America a couple of years ago. Just curious, did the producers or director of the TV series ever ask you which actors you thought would make a good representation of the characters in the books? I think they did an excellent job of casting; I'll picture Sharpe, Harper, Simmerson and Hogan as they actors who played them when I'm working my way through the books. Thank your for sharing Sharpe with us! -JP

A

I have neither seen film, nor script, and the first I heard of Barabbas Hakeswill was when a reader wrote into this website recently. I had no input - none at all, which is a good thing because I'd be horrible at casting!


Q

"Bernard Cornwell, the Chatham novelist with an international following, is the bumbling Erronius, stirring the audience into giggles simply by walking across the stage." So how are you enjoying being a player? Sounds like you're getting your share of laughs pretty easily.
David McKissack

A

I love it! I'm in three plays this summer - we finished Forum (standing ovations!), now we're performing The Front Page and in a fortnight we begin The Merry Wives of Windsor. Once that's done I shall sleep for a week.


Q

Dear Bernard, I have just started Excalibur, and i have been neglecting most other aspects of my life because i have been completely addicted to your Warlord Chronicles! My brothers have lent me your books and the Sharpe series on dvd and I cannot wait to read the rest of your novels. i have one question. I have found most pronunciations of the names like Derfel and Ceinwyn, but I would really like to know if you had any idea how to pronounce Scarach? I think it's an amazing name but nobody seems to know how to pronounce it! (that i can find . . .) but I LOVE your books. Honestly, I think I am in love with Derfel!! Respectfully, Gabriella x

A

Was that one of mine? I'd say Scarach, like the English pronunciation of 'garage'.


Q

Hi Mr Cornwell, Your books are great, I am reading All Sharpe books for the 2nd time. Is there any chance that Sharpe or his son(?) could continue onto New Zealand to be in the middle of the New Zealand land wars (1840's to 1880's). It would be great if he could...Craig Emslie

A

I honestly don't know! My instinct tells me not to write any more post 1815 stories, but never say never!


Q

Hi Bernard, I have just started reading your books (Saxon Series) and also 1st in Grail Series. I wondered if you had ever planned to write about the great history of events that surround the years when Robert the Bruce of Scotland was fighting for independence against that awful English King, Edward I? Think you could make a great series out of that. I am enjoying your style of writing immensely. Thanks. Dubhglas Taylor

A

No plans for it .


Q

dear sir I have now finished all of the grail quest and and the first four saxon books....your books totally blow me away, I enjoy them greatly....I can't wait till the new saxon book is finished, if you have even started it. I finished Sword Song in two days...I read your page about not requesting certain things and I truly understand but I do a have a question about something; was Genevieve an early example of Christians that didn't believe they needed a priest to talk to God or some saint, so was she part of the movement that lead to such forms of Baptist or Methodists seeing as how they believe they can speak to God directly? thank you for hearing my question.... Kevin

A

Honestly I don't know! I doubt she's a proto-Baptist! or proto-Protestant! When I wrote her? I think I just made her a bloody-minded, splendid, independent woman who probably, in her heart of hearts, isn't a believer.


Q

Hello Mr. Cornwell, I just finished Sword Song. I loved it and I am anciously awaiting the next book in the series. have you thought about writing anything about High King Brian Borou. I read a book about him called "The Lion of Ireland" by Morgan Llywelyn and would love to see your perspective on his life. please do not take this an idea for a story as the idea has already been used but I have fallen in love with your discriptive writing and would love to read something about him through your eyes. Kevin

A

I honestly think that tale, and so many others, is best written by an Irish writer! So the answer, sadly, is probably not


Q

Hope you are well, my good friend Paul squire is a big fan of yours, having collected all the Sharpe books over the years. He also enjoyed your Arthur Trilogy and was talking about it this morning. I have a question. He mentioned in one of the books a character talking about a religion 2000 years before the bible where someone died, was resurrected and had 12 disciples. This intrigued me, as Paul has told me that you base your books on fact as much as possible. What religion was this? I know that the Bible as we know it was cribbed from many other religions - Egyptian and Pagan stories to name but 2, but this sounded really interesting. All the best, I should really have a read of one of your books (sad Star Wars geek here!) Mark Newbold

A

It's Mithraism . . . . which lent a great deal to Christianity . . . you can find a good discussion of it in Wikipedia