A Spirited and Most Courageous Prince is a collection of short stories with a single aim: to restore the reputation good King Richard enjoyed during his lifetime.
Yes, if you haven’t realised by now, I’m a Ricardian, and I’ve written several short stories inspired by this maligned king as well as Shakespeare’s very entertaining (but historically inaccurate) play!
I contributed stories to the first anthology of Ricardian fiction – Grant Me the Carving of My Name –edited by Alex Marchant. Alex has written several great historical novels, including the excellent Order of the White Boar YA series, following a group of young people associated with Richard before and during his kingship and after his death at Bosworth (The Order of the White Boar, The King’s Man, King in Waiting, and Sons of York).
This time my story, “Borrowed Robes” is set in alternative present, where a troupe of Shakespearean actors is rehearsing a different version of Richard III – the play WIll might have written if Richard had won at Bosworth and the Tudors had never taken power (and spread all those lies!)
Alex was delighted to have actor Robert Lindsay, who became a Ricardian after playing Shakespeare’s Richard, to write a foreword for the anthology (and to my delight, he makes mention of my Shakespearean players and the questions they ask).
Other contributors to the anthology are Judith Arnopp, Bridget Beauchamp, Darren Harris, Wendy Johnson, Susan Lamb, Joanne R. Larner, Matthew Lewis, Kit Mareska, Alice Mitchell, Nancy Northcott, J. P. Reedman, Brian Wainwright and Jennifer C. Wilson.
The book is being sold in support of Scoliosis Support and Research UK.
A Spirited and Most Courageous Prince will be released on 2nd October 2024 – King Richard’s 572nd birthday (a now traditional date for releasing new Ricardian fiction).
A paperback should be available on or near that date. In the meantime, you can pre-order the ebook at