Cuddy by Benjamin Myers

I chose this book for two reasons: Myers is a poetic and creative writer and Saint Cuthbert is a fascinating historical figure I know and am very much interested in.

​This is the story of the cult of Cuddy - the nickname of Saint Cuthbert. He was a monk from Lindisfarne in the seventh century and the tale begins at his death and the search for somewhere special enough to lay him to rest. The journey continues through the Middle Ages, the Civil War and Oliver Cromwell's Battle of Dunbar, the Victorian era and ends in 2019. 

The book is a hybrid novel. In part poetry, play script, folklore and storytelling, and inserted between these parts are quotes from historians about Cuthbert and his followers so as to keep track of the Saint and the beliefs that surround him. The narrative is always appropriate to the time, catching the spirit of the period - and the pompous Victorian academic jumped from the page like a nineteenth century gentleman writer. There is a gothic flavour, deeply atmospheric and eerie with a hint of supernatural. It follows the enduring legacy and spirit of St Cuthbert across 1,500 years. It moves through brutal medieval winter landscapes, dense fog, and the rugged environments of the North.

A powerful and moving work, an appreciation of history as a living continuum,  a journey of faith, language and belonging. It sees the art in the landscape of the north of England and also in the craftsmanship of those who lovingly built and maintain the glorious Durham Cathedral. From the beating heart of each character to the snow on the ground, this book is also a work of art.​

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Published by Bloomsbury Circus on 16 March 2023.
​Advance review copy supplied by the publisher.

Winner of the Goldsmiths Prize

​Wild and Windswept: Moors and Peaks