Anna Sayburn Lane

Thriller author

Unlawful Things

Walk through Helen Oddfellow’s Southwark

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The George Inn, Southwark (Shakespeare’s local)

Have you got your free map of Helen Oddfellow’s Southwark? Every subscriber to my newsletter is sent a downloadable PDF of a hand-drawn map, drawn by Crystal Palace artist David Vallade. The map shows some of the key locations from Unlawful Things, enabling you to recreate the guided tour to Southwark that Helen gives near the start of the novel. I include background information about the sites, which formed part of the research I did for the novel.

Southwark and the Bankside area have been the heart of London’s entertainment district for hundreds of years. From the inn where Chaucer’s pilgrims set off to Canterbury, to the sites of the Rose Playhouse and Globe Theatre, they reflect the ways that people enjoyed themselves in days gone by. Part of this history is because theatres and other places of entertainment were banned from the city centre, so moved south of the river, where the authorities took more relaxed approach.

To get your copy of the map, sign up for the newsletter. You’ll receive regular updates on my books and events, and of course you can unsubscribe at any time.

Judging a book by its cover

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Despite the advice not to, we do all judge books by their covers – how else are you to know whether a particular title is the type of book you love, or not your cup of tea? So getting the right cover for Unlawful Things was a big challenge for me.

I spent a lot of time hanging around libraries and book shops, looking at the shelves. Where would my book fit? What sort of covers did thrillers and mysteries have? What made one book stand out and catch my eye, while others barely registered?

There are clear conventions in book genres. Curly writing, pastel colours and idyllic settings or pretty illustrations spell romance. Stark, often brightly coloured text against a dark background, perhaps with a woman looking fearfully over her shoulder – psychological thrillers. I was after something that conveyed mystery, intrigue and a historical back story. I had a few ideas, including using the skulls on the graveyard gates where Marlowe is buried, and where some of the key scenes in the novel took place. I commissioned cover designer Jessica Bell.

After some discussion about the book and my ideas for the cover, Jessica sent me some options to choose between. One very spooky graveyard scene was particularly impressive – but after asking people what they thought, it was clear that it suggested a horror or ghost story. Good as the cover was, it promised the wrong thing. I asked Jessica to rejig an image from one of the other options, with a mysterious staircase – and she came up with this terrific cover, which I really love. I hope it intrigues you and makes you want to take a look inside – which, after all, is the only real way to judge a book.

Keen to find out more? Subscribe to my newsletter here.

Welcome to Anna Sayburn Lane’s website

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Welcome to my new author site. I’ll be using it to share news about my upcoming novel, Unlawful Things, a thriller set in contemporary London that uncovers secrets from the city’s history.
This is my first novel and I’m enjoying learning about the publication process. Right now, I’m working with a cover designer to come up with an exciting, intriguing cover for the book. I’ll share it with you as soon as it’s ready.
I’ll also share news about the launch for the book and (of course) how you can get hold of a copy. It’s on track to be published in Autumn 2018.
Over the next few weeks I’ll share some more information about the path to publication. The original idea for Unlawful Things came to me while walking the pilgrim’s route from London to Canterbury. London, its history and literature, are always a source of inspiration.
If you too are interested in the way the past and the present interweave in London, you might want to sign up for my newsletter. As well as news about books and events, every subscriber will get a hand-drawn map of Southwark in south London, with information about some of the historical sites – from Chaucer’s pilgrim inn to Shakespeare and Marlowe’s theatres – you can still visit today. The photos below give you a flavour of some of the places included.

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