Brian Wainwright

ISBN: 0-9722091-1-5

Brian Wainwright has had a deep interest in the middle ages for most of his life. He cannot explain this satisfactorily, although the favourite books and TV dramas of his youth - Robin Hood, King Arthur, El Cid and the like - will have had something to do with it, along with frequent visits to castles during childhood holidays in Wales. He has been writing since his teens, but until quite recently it was purely for his own pleasure. Much of his early work has been destroyed, due to his deep dissatisfaction with it. He says he is glad that posterity will never have to endure reading any of it!

His first published novel, The Adventures of Alianore Audley (www.jacobytebooks.com), was produced by way of light relief during a lull in the long task of researching and writing Within the Fetterlock. He was surprised by the number of people who appear to enjoy what he admits is his fairly eccentric sense of humour.

Within the Fetterlock is an entirely different sort of project, one that has verged on an obsession. Fascinated by Constance of York almost from the first time he found a reference to her existence, this is the last of his several attempts to tell her story. It was not always easy. 'There were certain parts of her life,' he says, 'that I found it very hard to confront. It was painful even to write about it, and as I went on I found myself wondering at her endurance. There are fictional elements in this story, obviously, but I don't think I have exaggerated her bad times. If anything, I have probably softened the overall picture.'

Brian lives in the North West of England and is currently working on another book about the House of York. He owes a debt to many writers, living and dead, who have influenced his work. They are too many to list, but he admits to a particular fondness for Jane Austen and Geoffrey Chaucer.

For more about Brian, visit his website: www.brianwainwright.com.