Books: The World of Downton Abbey
The World Of Downton Abbey
Exclusive interview with author Jessica Fellowes and a review of her best-selling companion book to Downton Abbey, the TV series premiering season 2 on PBS Masterpiece on January 8th **** 4 Stars
By Gabrielle Pantera
Hollywood (Gosh!TV) 2012/1/5 – “It’s been a real delight to catch a ride on the Downton Abbey train, just being caught up in the general wave of positive feeling,” says The World of Downton Abbey author Jessica Fellowes. “At signings you meet the real fans of the show and you realize just what a broad spectrum of people the series appeals to…specifically, that it manages to cross generations. Mothers say they’ve been able to sit down with their daughters for the first time in years to really enjoy something together.”
Season 2 of Downton Abbey, produced by the British production company Carnival Films and aired on England’s ITV network, premieres to great anticipation from American fans on PBS Masterpiece on January 8th. As with Pride & Prejudice, the Downton Abbey story traces the life of a family with only daughters as they attempts to find a suitable husbands, and figure out how the families way of life will survive in a world changed by war and the industrial revolution.
The World of Downton Abbey, a book featuring a behind-the-scenes look at Downton Abbey, was released in England on September 15th, 2011, where it became a #1 bestseller. It’s a mixture of history of the manor house and actor quotes. Fans of the TV series have already made the book a bestseller. The beautiful pictures make it a keepsake and very pretty on your coffee table.
The TV series is set at the fictional manor house Downton Abbey during the reign of King George V. The exterior of the house is actually Highclere Castle, residence to the Earl of Carnarvon. It was the 5th Earl with archaeologist Howard Carter who discovered the tomb of the Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun. The castle was redesigned and renovated by Sir Charles Barry after he had built the Houses of Parliament. Highclere is open to the public in April, July and August. It’s home to the Egyptian Exhibit.
In researching the book, Jessica Fellowes interviewed the cast and crew for the series, as well as visiting Highclere Castle and the built set at Ealing Studios. “I talked to Julian Fellowes, the series creator and writer, as well as being my uncle. His knowledge of the time is almost unparalleled. Plus, I have always had an interest in that time, so I was already familiar with the history and the mood, if you like, from memoirs written by people who lived at the time, from both above and below stairs. There’s a surprising number of them and I’m delighted that the interest in the period generated by Downton Abbey has led to the rediscovery and republication of many of those memoirs.”
Fellowes writes books as commissions rather than as fictional ideas of her own. “HarperCollins bid for the rights to publish the official Downton Abbey companion book,” says Fellowes. “The agent who brokered the deal between them and Carnival Productions who made the series happened to mention it to my agent, they are both at PFD [Peters Fraser & Dunlop, a leading UK literary agency], that they were looking for a writer for the book. I went in to meet HarperCollins and the deal was done.”
Fellowes editor was originally Louise Stanley. “It was her idea it in the first place to do the books,” says Fellowes. “Sadly for me, but happily for her, she went on maternity leave before I had finished the first draft. So, after that I worked directly with the HarperCollins team, Louise Wedgewood, who was chiefly in charge of the design and production, and the publisher Hannah Macdonald.
Fellowes agent at PFD is Rowan Lawton. “I went to a drinks party and got chatting to a very nice man about writing,” says Fellowes. “He said his daughter was an agent and that we should meet. I don’t know many people who listen to their dad on these sorts of things but luckily Rowan does. So we met for breakfast at Soho House and within weeks she had found me a project: Is There A Psycho In Your Life?”
Fellowes says the biggest challenge writing The World of Downton Abbey was that there were so many stakeholders in the Downton Abbey brand. “I had to be careful that I kept them all happy. It’s obviously a very strong, authentic brand, with a lot of integrity and I had to ensure that every part of my process, from the research to the shortest caption, stayed true to that. Making sure that everything was completely accurate and yet keeping to the almost insanely tight deadline. We had just six months to produce the book and we were writing about the second series before they had finished filming it.”
In addition to The World of Downton Abbey, Fellowes has written two other books: Mud & the City: Dos and Don’ts for Townies in the Country (based a collection of columns she wrote for The London Paper) and Is There A Psycho In Your Life? co-written with the forensic psychologist Kerry Daynes. Her next book will be a business guide written with the co-founders of notonthehighstreet.com, Sophie Cornish and Holly Tucker.
Fellowes has been a journalist since 1999, starting at the Mail on Sunday. She became Deputy Editor of Country Life magazine and a freelancer four years ago. She’s written for many newspapers and magazines. She’s based in London, the city where she was born.
Fellowes says she’s enjoyed giving talks with Julian Fellowes, Dan Stevens who plays Matthew Crawley and Gareth Neame, the executive producer. She has events coming up, the Scarborough Literary Festival, Words by the Water, and Theatre Royal in Bath. Details available on her Amazon Author page. Her website is www.jessicafellowes.com. On Twitter she’s @jessicafellowes. She’s on Facebook, too.
Fellowes says she’s had wonderful feedback from the people who’ve read the book. The TV series has been renewed for a third season. It will start production in early 2012 and premiere on ITV in September 2012. In addition to the eight episodes of season two, there’s a Downton Abbey Christmas Special that recently aired in England.
The World of Downton Abbey by Jessica Fellowes
Hardcover, 304 pages, Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (December 6, 2011), Language: English, ISBN: 9781250006349 $ 29.99