Career
Anya Seton"s historical novels were noted for how extensively she researched the historical facts, and some of them were best-sellers: and Foxfire (1950) were both made into Hollywood films. Most of her novels have been recently republished, several with forewords by Philippa Gregory. In 2003, Katherine was chosen as the 95th best British novel of all time in a nationwide poll conducted by the British Broadcasting Corporation. Seton published her first novel, My Theodosia, in 1941.
Her novel Devil Water concerns James, the luckless Earl of Derwentwater and his involvement with the Jacobite rising of 1715.
The action of the novel moves back and forth between Northumberland, Tyneside, London, and America. Seton stated that the book developed out of her love for Northumberland.
Billy Pigg, the celebrated Northumbrian piper played "Derwentwater"s Farewell" especially for her. The novel shows her typical thorough research of events and places, though the accents are a little wayward.
Seton said that her greatest debt of all was to Mission Amy Flagg of Westoe Village in South Shields, her father"s birthplace.