Six of One: Sarah Bax Horton
I am a Crime Cymru member who writes true crime books about Jack the Ripper and his contemporary ‘rival’ the Thames Torso Killer. I recently featured in Lucy Worsley’s Victorian Murder Club miniseries on the Thames Torso Murders, now on BBC iPlayer.
I hope you enjoy my pick of six.
One Place
My home town of Abergavenny is a great inspiration to me. I grew up there, and had my early education at a local school. I still have some of my old schoolbooks which demonstrate that I could read and write by the age of four! We wrote a diary each day in class, which I loved to do, heavily illustrated in coloured crayons. It was my first foray into writing something for someone else to read. Although it took me a few more years to learn to use any form of punctuation, I continued to write stories and made up my own ‘newspaper’ in my bedroom at home. I have always been grateful to have spent my early years among kind people in beautiful surroundings. I spent many happy hours in and around Abergavenny Castle, inspiring a love of the Tudor period.
One Writer
The historical novelist Hilary Mantel is one of my favourite authors. She not only brought the past back to life but broadened our thinking about Tudor personalities and their dynamics of power. When reading her books, it feels as though like her, we are there in the corner of the room watching the next scene develop. I was thrilled to see the Royal Shakespeare Company’s stage adaptation of Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies in London’s West End.
As a historical writer myself, I enjoy her interpretation of history and this quotation: ‘History is always changing behind us, and the past changes a little every time we retell it.’ Having seen many of her interviews, I revel in her quirkiness and intellect. Mantel died just two years after finishing her brilliant Wolf Hall trilogy and I was one of many fans waiting for that final book to be published.
One Album
If I could choose just one album, it would have to be Solid Air by the late, great John Martyn. It is so atmospheric and full of emotion. The last time I moved home, I played it ‘solidly’ throughout six weeks of unpacking boxes and setting up my new flat. To me it is like a companion and, since I discovered it as a teenager, somehow timeless.
I don’t tend to play music or listen to the radio while writing. It would not be a distraction as I do not tend to hear much while focussing on my work. When I take a break, I reward myself with a burst of music and a cup of tea.
One Book
My favourite book is Possession by A. S. Byatt, winner of the Booker Prize in 1990. When I first read it, I was lodging in Putney near where the author used to live. To my regret, I never saw her in real life, and my best anecdote is simply that I almost missed my tube stop when reading its compelling chase scene. It is a story about relationships, past and present, concealing mysteries for two modern-day protagonists to uncover.
This book probably influenced my writing, as my early attempts centred around the family secret that my paternal grandfather was adopted as a baby. Reg was raised by a Welsh-speaking couple in Aberystwyth, a connection that I have reinforced by joining Crime Cymru and twice speaking at its festival there.
One TV series
I am particularly fascinated by cold cases, so I will choose the TV series Unforgotten with the brilliant Nicola Walker and Sanjeev Bhaskar. It is a show with a deep emotional core and that is what appeals to me.
There are so many great detective programmes from all over the world including the genre Cymru Noir. Line of Duty and Blue Lights are extraordinary. I also enjoy documentaries and true crime dramas such as Manhunt which featured Martin Clunes as DCI Colin Sutton.
One Person
I am hugely influenced by my great-great grandfather Harry Garrett, a Metropolitan police sergeant who worked on the original Jack the Ripper investigation. Making that discovery led me to write my first book One-Armed Jack, now followed by my second, Arm of Eve. In each of my books I propose an evidenced hypothesis identifying firstly the real Jack the Ripper and secondly the Thames Torso Killer.
I do not believe that I would ever have written a book without being inspired by my relative, who deserves a small place in Ripper history. Being motivated by him and supported by other writers enabled me to complete the long process of writing those books. I was delighted when my second book was referenced in Lucy Worsley’s Victorian Murder Club documentary and to film with her at three London locations. I hope you enjoy watching the show which is now on BBC iPlayer.
You can contact Sarah on:
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