With the University turning 200 years old, I thought I ought to email some notable alumni in an attempt to reassure our students that graduate prospects can look somewhat optimistic.
As a history undergraduate, I was pleasantly surprised to see Bernard Cornwell’s name pop up.
Cornwell is a master story teller, producing some of the most entertaining, and well researched historic fiction of recent memory. Some of his most popular works include The Last Kingdom series, as well as the loveable Napoleonic War soldier Sharpe.
Now, I must critique my own journalistic integrity when it comes to this interview.
A pretty standard opening question involved me asking Mr Cornwell about his experience at UCL, which news-outlets have claimed he studied at. Cornwell diplomatically responded “thank you”, but he would have “major difficulty answering these questions” since he took an “external degree” at The College of St Mark and St John and “never was at UCL.”
Yet, despite this early hiccup in the interview, Cornwell reassured and advised anyone wanting to break into media to “study the journals and or programmes you aspire to work for, and get annoyed with them because you know you can do better.”
With a knack for creating loyal and brave anti-establishment protagonists who challenge authoritative institutions, I wondered whether Cornwell used his characters as an outlet to express his own personality.
A very honest response, “I am a risk taker, and probably stubborn, but I’ll deny the rest.
“Anti-establishment? When the establishment is led by clowns like Donald Trump how can you be anything else?”
Sharpe would have been great at disagreeing well, but Cornwell appreciates that this iconic character may not have fared well at university, “he would have hated lectures, writing essays, reading.
“He would have been fine with the social life, but I don't think he'd have lasted a single term.”
As a history graduate who worked at the BBC before becoming an author, Cornwell opted to become a writer since he had “the suspicion that it was a more pleasant career than most.” He confirmed that it is a much nicer lifestyle than the demands of other jobs; writing allows Cornwell to conduct “intense” research before taking roughly “six months to write a novel.”
“My whole education in Britain prepared me! As did working for BBC Television. Life prepares you to be an author, all of it, the nasty and the good.”
Drawing upon his inspiration from authors like Forester, he found that there was a lack of historical fiction written about the Napoleonic wars, and “it was as simple as that – a gap on the bookshelves” prompted Cornwell to create Sharpe.
“For writing — read everything, then read more. Finally start writing the book you want to read and which no one else has written.”
Though many students dread tutor’s feedback after submitting essays, Cornwell has learnt to take editorial advice “gracefully” since “they want you to succeed!
“You don't have to accept it all, but only a fool ignores such help.”
When talking about his career, a message to aspiring writers (or even UCL students procrastinating essays and dissertations) is that “every best-selling author began scared of the task, uncertain they could accomplish it but kept at it - which means writing and writing and then writing more.
“The bloody stuff doesn't write itself, you have to park your bum on a chair and work!”
UCL, could we please offer Mr Cornwell an honorary degree? I am certain most of the History department have read his work, and most of the internet already thinks he holds a degree from the University!