How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?Visit Ruth Gilligan's website.
I would have said that the title of my novel was key – the thing that came almost before the story itself; the one aspect of my work-in-progress that I was happy to talk about.
‘What are you writing at the moment?’ people would ask.
‘A novel called The Butchers.’
‘Ooh – great title!’
And this was still the case when the book came out in the UK and Ireland – a book about the clash of tradition and modernity in late 90s Ireland; a book about a group of eight men, known as the Butchers, who travel the country slaughtering cattle according to a set of ancient folkloric customs; a book about the women they leave behind.
But then the book was bought by an American publisher and the first thing they said was: ‘We love the novel, but we need to change the name.’
They said it was too violent; too savage; that although the Butchers were a key feature of the plot, there was so much else going on too – there were stories of family and loss; of folklore and feminism; stories of individuals – and the country around them – finally coming of age. The Butchers, as a title, was too specific; too harsh.
In the end, we compromised on The Butchers’ Blessing. It meant there was a continuity between the UK and US editions, but it was also a little softer; a little less gory; a little more suggestive of the focus on faith and tradition and superstition. I will never know for certain how the different titles...[read on]
Q&A with Ruth Gilligan.
--Marshal Zeringue
Posts
