There was a time when female vicars in the Church of England meant controversial news headlines or The Vicar of Dibley. Then, in 1998, Phil Rickman published his novel The Wine of Angels and Merrily Watkins was unleashed on Ledwardine. There was no looking back.
This was not comedy, though it has its funny moments; nor was it more of the endless debates between religious modernists and traditionalists, Feminists and chauvinists, and everyone else who found that they had an opinion. It was fiction that read like real life; yet that realism included aspects of dark spirituality and the paranormal.
For fans, all ten novels to date have been compulsive reading. Now author Phil Rickman has published the eleventh installment in the series, The Secrets of Pain; and he spoke to Suite101 about it.
Secrets of Pain: The Latest Book in the Merrily Watkins Series
As vicars go, Merrily Watkins does not fit the stereotype. In a Britain where the concept of female vicars ignites fierce debate; where single mothers are vilified in the press; and where smokers risk being lynched as part of the latest aversion fad, Merrily Watkins is all of the above. Her world is as much about side-stepping the politics, as it is about preaching.
Then she was made exorcist too. The Church of England have them as much as the Catholic Church does; they are just quieter about it. This new role casts the pragmatic Merrily into a series of situations, which are uncomfortable at best, and terrifying at worst. This latest novel is eagerly anticipated by readers hooked on the drama of Merrily's life.
Suite101: What is The Secrets of Pain all about?
Phil Rickman: Quite a lot of things. It's about the history of violence under a serene landscape. It's about a hidden side of the SAS, who know about pain. It's about tensions in the countryside and in towns like Hereford. Someone asked why I'd never covered the problems of mass-immigration by East Europeans into country towns, but by then I'd already put the theme into The Secrets of Pain, in connection with the rows over fruit farms and polytunnels. The mystical aspects relate to an element of paganism connected with Roman remains. I'd better not go any further.
Suite101: The Secrets of Pain is your 11th book in the Merrily Watkins series. What brings you back to writing about Merrily time and time again?
Phil Rickman: She remains the best idea I've ever had. The first five supernatural mysteries or ghost stories were original in that they related to established British folklore, but they didn't do much that hadn't already been done. Whereas I'm not aware of anything quite like the Merrily series, which shows how exorcists actual work in the third millennium and the pressure they face. It also - I hope - approaches the crime novel from a new (or maybe very old) perspective.
Into the Mind of Merrily Watkins via Author Phil Rickman
Suite101: How does a married man and a writer get into the mindset of a single mother and female vicar? Are you even Church of England?
Phil Rickman: I was brought up in the C of E, but always found other kinds of spirituality more enticing. I'm not a churchgoer, but research for this series has revealed depths to Christianity I'd been unaware of. Unfortunately, the contemporary Church seems to be avoiding them. As for getting into characters' heads... it's what writing novels is all about. I think the advice to 'write what you know' is silly. I'm still basically a journalist and, as one of my old news editors used to say, 'If you don't know, f***ing find out.'
Suite101: Your stories often touch upon the supernatural. Are you psychic or have you ever experienced anything paranormal?
Phil Rickman: I wouldn't claim to be psychic and I've never seen a ghost, but I once, very briefly, left my body. It was extraordinary enough to convince me that, on some level, these things happen. Nowadays, if I don't think something could have happened I don't write about it.
Suite101: Your love of the Welsh border landscape is evident in your stories. To what extent does the area in which you live inspire you to write your Merrily series?
Phil Rickman: Virtually all the stories come out of a particular place - landscape, history, folklore, current issues. Once you know where something is happening, you begin to make discoveries and the story goes off in unimagined directions. A place starts to talk to you. It never fails.. well, it hasn't so far, fingers crossed.
Addressing Rumours of a Merrily Watkins Television Series
Since about 2000, fans of the series have been hearing rumours about these stories being filmed. During the past decade, each new hint brings another flurry of speculation. Everyone has secretly cast their own Merrily, and all of the other characters, in their own heads.
Suite101: Are we ever going to see a film version of any of your Merrily books?
Phil Rickman: Hard to say. They've been optioned for TV three times without any results so far. I only half want it to happen. British TV crime drama is fairly dismal at present, and I'm always afraid of Merrily getting dragged into some morass of the mediocre. Many a good series has come to an end because of crap TV.
Suite101: Maybe so, but I have to admit that I'd cheer if I knew I was going to watch Merrily on a screen too!
Phil Rickman's Book Releases in 2011
Suite101: This has been a busy year for you. Would you like to mention everything that has been published, in addition to the latest Merrily book?
Phil Rickman: There are actually six new releases this year, if you count republication in ebook format. The first two, Candlenight and Curfew are available as ebooks now. December will be along in a few weeks, closely followed by The Man in the Moss and The Chalice.
The Secrets of Pain is in bookshops now, published by Corvus, with a trailer already on YouTube.
Jo Harrington - Jo has a BA (Hons) in History and Philosophy and a MA in History. She has a book published on the history of Wicca.
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