It’s time for our annual Anne Boleyn Day competition, a competition we hold to commemorate the anniversary of Anne Boleyn’s execution on the 19th May 1536.
This year, I’m giving you two choices on what to write about:-
- An account of Anne Boleyn’s execution from the point of view of the executioner – You could write about him receiving the order, travelling to England and then his feelings about the day itself, or whatever you think is appropriate.
- Anne Boleyn’s execution speech – What would you have said if you’d been Anne on that scaffold? Put yourself in her shoes. Thanks to Phyllis Wolf for this idea.
Be as creative as you like. Write it as if it’s a scene from an historical novel, rather than a biography or factual book. If you want to check the real history then here are some primary sources to help you out:-
- LP x. 911, 919 and 920
- The Spanish Chronicle, p70-71
- Wriothesley’s Chronicle, p41-42
- Hall’s Chronicle, p819
- The Chronicle of Calais, p46-47
- Holinshed’s Chronicle, p796-797
- The History of the Reigns of Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI and Queen Mary, Francis Bacon, p80-82
- LP x.1036, Poem descriptive of the life of Anne Boleyn
The Prize
The judges will choose one winner to win signed copies of both my books (The Anne Boleyn Collection and The Fall of Anne Boleyn: A Countdown) plus an Anne Boleyn Falcon Badge pewter bookmark.
Rules
Here are the rules:-
- The article should have a minimum of 300 words and there is no maximum limit so you can let yourself go!
- Email your article, along with your full name, to claire@theanneboleynfiles.com by the end of Wednesday 16th May. The winner will have their account published here on The Anne Boleyn Files on the 19th May.
- Your article must be your own work and by entering the competition you are giving your permission for it to be published on the site.
- Do not use an article that you have already had published elsewhere.
- The prize is non-transferrable and cannot be exchanged for something else.
Good luck with it!
Funny, but I was just thinking about whether or not there would be a competition this year when I was walking to work this morning, and when I looked on The Anne Boleyn Files this was the first thing that I saw! Since this will be the first Anne Boleyn Day since 2009 that I won’t be at the Tower commemorating the event with my friends from The Anne Boleyn Files, writing my article will give me something to look forward to!
This sounds exciting so I will have to go off and have a think on making a contribution
Wonderful news! I hope I’ll be able to contriubute–so far, I have not been writing at all and I NEED TO BE! Maybe this will be the stimulus I need! 🙂
Good luck to one and all!
Oh! How exciting.
A sad occasion, but I might give it a try none the less….
Thank you for hosting this event!
This time I feel really inspired by the ideas! I will be part of it! I can’t wait to write 🙂
Can you send in more then one article? 🙂
Yes, that’s fine.
I Claire, what a great idea. I was thinking about writing about the executioner, as I don’t think Anne’s speech can be matched, but that’s this guy’s opinon based on a number of reading and the different versions, and down to the real one. We’ll see. I was thinking about writing on the executioner, but I don’t think there are any more facts out there than the one’s mentioned in your columns and Eric Ives’ book, “The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn,” p.351, with footnote on that as well. It explains a little about the executioner (more than I’ve ever read), have never written historical fiction. I suppose it’s like using the “known facts,” and making myself that person, and adding a few things about why he might have been chosen in Calais, and then dialogue using myself thinking and saying and then putting it into the third person. I know in college that’s how I got through “Advance Expository Writing,” and got an “A.” Is this one of the ways of going about it.” I envy writers as English majors can tell a story, but we European History folk only know how to write the facts.
I also tried to find on your website, the comments made on the other web site, and didn’t mark that as a favorite. Might you be able to point my to the right web site whre that is. Thank you! WilesWales
Do you mean the website for my new book? It’s http://www.thefallofanneboleyn.com
The executioner was described as “distressed” at Anne’s execution so I think that he was very moved by Anne’s dignity and courage. It will be interesting to see how people portray him.
Yeah! I love it!
Claire, thanks for the acknowledging me for the idea of writing Anne’s exection speech! I’m working on it and it truly is not only a hard task due to the subject but I am finding it is also one that forces you to look into yourself. There are so many emotions that is dredged up – feelings of anger and revenge, heart break, sorrow, sadness, remembering happier times and feelings, fear of the event and of the future for your child, wondering what to say to protect your family. It really makes you think how many emotions were swirling through Anne as she stood and spoke. I have no doubt there were things she wanted to say very much and could not in fear retaliation on her family and child would be the outcome. I’ve decided to write two versions; one to protect family and child and one as if she could speak out without fear. Combined with all the other entries, maybe we will give Anne a new voice and bring up new questions not thought of before.
This will be so interesting; I hope many will enter.
Phyllis – aka Shosana to my friends – like you!
Hi Claire: What an example of “Murphy’s Law”…it’s a great idea to host a contest;the articles will be fun to read….but after going through “hell & high water” to get a copy of the new book,I wish I would have waited and tried to write an article and win one! It would have been much easier and more fun than “hours” messing with Amazon!!! Maybe I still will give it a go!
I have one question. What file format do the articles need to be? DOC, open office, DOX? Please let me know so I can save it in the right format so you can open it. 🙂
I made it a PDF…
Sorry I didn’t reply but I was in bed. Any file is fine with me. Thanks!
I figured you would be! 🙂 Thank you so much! I run open office so I usually have to ask, since not everybody can open ODT’s 🙂
Its funny, I’m name after 2 executed queens, Anne Boleyn and Marie Antoinette it’ll be awesome to write something as if I was one of my name sakes lol
What a good idea! The prompts are very interesting– especially the executioner one.
Claire,Your first book was smashingly excelllent,now will start the second ,The Fall Of Anne Boleyn,it has given me insentive to write ,which I love to do,I have already started,so will enter soon,I really did not do this to win, but to pay my much love and respect for Queen Anne,who knows maybe I will,but wish all who enter The Best Of Luck. Good Luck to All
For some reason my email service( gmaill ) does not recognize the domian name!!! COuld I enter another way? For now, back to beating the computer…..
My email service(gmail) is refusing to recognize the domain. Is there some other way for me enter the competition??
ok, wait….. Technical details of permanent failure:
Google tried to deliver your message, but it was rejected by the recipient domain. We recommend contacting the other email provider for further information about the cause of this error. The error that the other server returned was: 550 550-5.1.1 The email account that you tried to reach does not exist. Please try
550-5.1.1 double-checking the recipient’s email address for typos or
550-5.1.1 unnecessary spaces. Learn more at
550 5.1.1 http://support.google.com/mail/bin/answer.py?answer=6596 s16si15121390yhg.114 (state 13).
That’s what they said…..
Hi Jenny,
My email is claire@theanneboleynfiles.com and I seem to be receiving emails fine so that’s odd. I’ll email you and then you can reply to that. Hope that works for you.
Hi Jenny,
I’ve just checked my emails and your entry has come through fine – thanks!
I just sent my entry, looking forward to reading all the articles!!
Thanks, Eliza!
I noticed above that it said ‘Judges’ will choose a winner, who’s doing the judging Claire, just out of interest.
I have sent my entry, yikes!! why is it as soon as you have pressed the send button, then you re-read, everything you have written seems lame..oh well…Good luck everyone 🙂
When is the due date for this
Plus i was wondering whether anyone would be interested in taking part in my commemoration to anne boleyn on facebook it involeves disscuisons and doing art, making videos and a lot of harmless fun to pay our respects to Anne Boleyn
Hi Rebecca,
The closing date is tomorrow. I think I joined your facebook page.
Hi Claire! I really enjoyed this…:) I hope you have received my e-mail…:)
No, I have just checked all my emails and I haven’t received any email from the email you’ve given. Sorry.
my god…how come this…? I swear I did send…:'( I know now it’s too late to read mine or win(I really don’t bother)….
But I would love to see it among the other entries :'( …pff what a sad day…
Hi Areti,
You can send it to me and I’ll add it to the page. I haven’t been able to find it so it must have got lost in cyberspace somewhere.
I will re-send it to you and please tell me if you receive it….
If you can please place also mine among the other entries…I was so happy in wiriting it…If it’s possible of cource..thank you!
The one you just sent has just come into my spam folder so I’ll put it on the site. Thanks!
You just made me happy Claire…:) Thank you SO MUCH!