Whispering Gallery, Issue 141

The action of three of the great set pieces in The Lymond Chronicles takes place against the background of a Renaissance court entertainment. These included royal processions, staged performances and ceremonies of state. In this issue, we explore the classical inspiration for these highly sophisticated events and the organisation that went into producing them. 

We explore a selection of the verses from Nostradamus’s Prophecies that preface each chapter of Checkmate, discuss the ‘devices’ created by Leonardo da Vinci and how these find echoes in the story of Nicholas, and look at the statement Nicholas is making by wearing black in The Unicorn Hunt. 

We are delighted to publish the winning story of the second Historical Writers' Association/Dorothy Dunnett Society short story competition. Readers discuss the similarities between the Crawford brothers, and the father-son parallels between the stories. Plus we have two members’ reactions to the proposed dramatisation of The Lymond Chronicles. 

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