Back in the late spring and very-much-feeling-like-summer of 2023 I travelled down to North Wales to spend a fortnight reading, writing, rewriting my play about Margery Kempe and Julian of Norwich. I had been awarded a scholarship by the library to work on a redrafting of the play, and to read more into the theology of the two women. You can read about the play itself, and the year before going to Gladstone’s here. Because of my daughters understandabe four-year-old needs, we were, as ever, a travelling circus. The library made a beautiful effort to make my husband and daughter feel welcome, the kitchen staff were all delighted to have a wee yin in aboot the place – not many bairnies in a theological and political residental library. Some fantastic support from Creative Scotland meant that we could pay for my time, for the extra accommodation and even pay my husband to take time off his work so he could look after the wee one as I worked. It would not have happened without this two-prongs of funding.
And boy did I work. I worked and walked and accidentally found myself reading feminist theology, body theology, an early 19th century book about the visit of George IV to Edinburgh. I read prayer books, books on how teen girls do theology, books about Margery and Julian themselves. I dipped, and wrote, and swam, and wrote – all in books. All in the most beautiful room you could ever imagine working in.
And outside that room I went to daily services, I walked around the graveyard of the church next door, I walked to a farm shop along a busy dual carriageway and thought and thought and thought about life and the arts and the play. At one point I had a total crisis with it all and took an afternoon to take a bus to see the new Little Mermaid with my daughter. I spoke to my dramaturg on the phone, I disagreed with her, and I agreed. It was, simply, heaven.
The next stage for the play, the literal stage-stage will be very much more earthly. It’s a mystery how or if that will happen, but I will always be grateful for the thirteen days of sun and space in Hawarden, given to me by the library, and the Creative Scotland funding which let me know my daughter was safe and happy, that I was safe and happy, and that I could dive down, dip and swim in safety. That is the only way I can do it.
Ishbel McFarlane 