There’s a plethora of historical events that remain endlessly fascinating and the 1961 Profumo Affair is most definitely one of them.
This was a uniquely British political scandal, involving war minister John Profumo, who had an affair with Christine Keeler, a 19-year-old model, who was also involved with a Soviet naval attache, Yevgeny Ivanov, who just so happened to be a spy.
This was at the height of the Cold War, when so-called ‘pillow talk’ could have been potentially hugely damaging to the British government. When the affair came to light, Profumo, 46, denied it but later admitted the truth and resigned from his post and seat in Parliament.
The scandal exposed the nefarious intersection of high society, espionage and politics, and to this day, it remains one of the most notorious incidents in British political history.
Some of you may remember the 1989 movie, Scandal, starring Joanne Whalley, as Christine Keeler, Ian McKellen as Profumo, Bridget Fonda as Keeler’s friend Mandy Rice-Davies and John Hurt as Stephen Ward, a social climber and Soviet ally, who was the glue in this high society mosaic.
The affair has been endlessly mused over so when I read that journalist and author Vanessa Holburn was about to publish The Profumo Affair, I was fascinated to know how she set about telling this story. As a writer you’re always striving for a new angle, especially when poring over real events that have been well-documented.
The book uses newly-released classified government documents to inform the work. and examines the event from a more modern perspective. It also backs the campaign for a pardon for Christine Keeler, who was jailed for perjury; an event that is now considered a national scandal in itself.
Vanessa, who has written for publications such as The Daily Telegraph, Private Eye, and The Independent on Sunday, has authored two other books for non-fiction publishers Pen & Sword including Surviving the Holocaust and Stalin: The Amazing Story of the Seiler Family and The Amritsar Massacre: The British Empire’s Worst Atrocity.
She’s also the author of How To Be An Activist: A Practical Guide to Organising, Campaigning and Making Change Happen, informed by her part in the #LucysLaw campaign, which limits third party puppy sales.
The Profumo Affair, your third book for Pen & Sword, using newly released research has just been published. How did that come about and what value did the new research offer you?
The new material came from a release by the National Archives and took the form of lots of MI5 files in which the Profumo scandal is mentioned. I didn't know this was going to happen, so in some ways it was fortuitous for the book, but when I first heard I was a bit worried it might affect the whole process.
The National Archives is very good at writing up the material it's released, and I've also been along to Kew [in south west London] to look at some records. It was great to have some newer material for the book, since the main files on the Denning Inquiry that looked into the Profumo Affair have been sealed for such a long time, and now won't be opened until at least 2048.
The book also focuses on the great work Seymour Platt has done to get a pardon for Christine Keeler, his mother, for her perjury conviction, for which she spent time in Holloway prison.
Why do you think people are still curious after all these years to read more about the Profumo affair?
Without a doubt Christine Keeler was enigmatic and beautiful, but I do think her life and the things that happened to her have been glamorised. In reality she existed at a time when a single, young woman with no qualifications had very little options open to her.
I had a rose-tinted view of the events of the Profumo Affair, gleaned from the Scandal film. I think when readers re-visit the story through my book, they are able to see the backdrop against which the events played out and see much deeper issues.
How do you go about writing a book that offers a new angle on a subject that has been extensively written about and even dramatised?
I think I bring my own experiences to a subject when I write. Generally speaking, I'm looking at historic events with modern eyes, and certainly with female eyes. Many history books are written by the men who have been served well by the establishment, and perhaps they're not ready to be as critical as I am about those in power?
One of the things I'd say about writing about the relationship between Profumo (45, married, educated, independently wealthy and an MP), and Keeler (19, single, poorly educated, little in the way of support) is that we are in a post #MeToo era. We have a language for coercive relationships, for grooming, for stalking and far less of a tolerance for misbehaving politicians.
However, I think the fascination with Keeler, and the interest in the Profumo Affair will continue until the government finally releases the files it has. Over the years there's been so much speculation about who or what they are protecting, and that alone keeps the fires burning.
What initially inspired you to become a writer?
I was first a voracious reader at a young age. I went to the library each week and came back with loads of books, titles like Black Beauty and most of the Enid Blyton stories. At primary school, I wrote pages and pages of stories, and by the time I'd got to secondary I enjoyed all the essay-based subjects. I've just always had a lot to say, and be able to say that best on paper.
If there is one, can you describe your typical writing routine or schedule?
I approach it like any other job, I sit at my desk and get to it. I'm interrupted by my kids, husband and pets regularly, and like any other working mother, I work around it. Right now I've got a kitten balanced on the arm of my chair!
The planning and research stages are far harder to be disciplined with, sometimes reading and Googling doesn't actually feel like work, so you feel guilty. I also work as a journalist and have to balance and prioritise work that equates to a more reliable cash stream. Working in publishing my whole life does mean I can easily pace myself to deadlines though, it's second nature to me.
How do you approach the process of generating and developing ideas for your writing?
I'm full of ideas, I have so many, maybe too many. Working it further than a paragraph is what takes the time, of course. The good thing about non-fiction is that editors generally want a thorough chapter outline before they say yes to a book, so that gives you your framework.
Quite often the writing isn't linear; you work on the bit you feel you can do. I'm the sort that always has stacks of rough paper around, so I'm scribbling bits here and there, and will move it all around on a table I've hurriedly cleared to give me a structure.
I love index cards for this too. I also use the notes app on my phone during the day when random things pop into my head. This happens a lot when I walk the dog. Or as I'm falling asleep!
What is your revision and editing process like, and how many drafts do you typically go through?
The editing process is awful! By the time I finish a book, I've done so much research that I often feel very differently than I did at the beginning of the project, and sometimes things have happened in the meantime too. I'm looking at everything over and over again, trying to see if it's consistent, but not repetitive, as well as reading well, without any grammatical errors.
One of the hardest parts is giving the reader the factual information they need, when they need it, but stories are often intertwined with the things that happen in the background; it can be challenging to present it in a way that feels seamless for the reader.
How closely I work with my editor varies widely between books and publishing companies. Non-fiction often doesn't require the type of edits fiction does. I've sent first chapters over to editors to see if I'm hitting the right tone in some books, and then I've written other books without much editing support at all.
You’ve written two other books for Pen & Sword, Surviving the Holocaust and Stalin: The Amazing Story of the Seiler Family, and The Amritsar Massacre, The British Empire's Worst Atrocity. What attracts you to writing about past events?
In hindsight, all my books do have the common theme of fairness. It's something I was always obsessed with as a child, what's fair and what isn't. Some of my books are based on animal welfare campaigns I was involved with, and I feel I'm not the sort of person to just shut up about things I don't think are right.
Each of my Pen & Sword books deal with those that have been unfairly treated. I didn't do this consciously, but I must be attracted to getting to the bottom of events that still need to be thrashed out.
I know lots of people are of the opinion that past events should be left alone, but how we acted and what we did decades, and even centuries, ago comes back to bite us. Why wouldn't we talk about what we could learn from the past and how we can do better now?
You’ve also written the books How to Pick a Puppy and How to be an Activist, which was informed by your part in the Lucy’s Law campaign, which brought about a change in UK law regulating the sale of puppies and kittens. Can you describe your role and how satisfying it must have been to set in motion such a significant law change.
I was brought up with dogs, and when I moved to a new area, in 2002, I was horrified to see that the local garden centre was selling puppies. I knew this wasn't right, so when I saw a local protest starting I happily went along to see if I could help. The puppies sold at this shop came from puppy farms, which are completely legal, but have really poor levels of animal welfare.
Come rain or shine, I spent my weekends standing outside the shop with banners that warned potential buyers what they were supporting. As well as this action at grassroots level, our group joined up with other like-minded people and with work going on at a national level to force the government to ban third party pet sales.
I attended meetings at Parliament and outreach events aimed at educating the public about puppy farming and the correct way to find a pet. With my background in journalism, I was able to write articles for the national press about the campaign and speak on TV and radio about our work.
Only when the dust had settled, after we heard Lucy's Law would come into being, was I able to understand how significant our campaign had been. It's actually quite unusual for members of the public to bring legal change.
Along the way, I learnt so much about how to vocalise the need for change, how to really pin it down and plan what you want to happen instead. I'd also seen what sorts of activism were effective and had met a lot of other campaigners too. I wrote How To Be An Activist to help anyone else wanting to start campaigning from scratch.
While the law was changed making it illegal to buy a puppy or kitten from anyone other than the breeder, I still felt there was a need for more education on getting a dog. If you know anyone that works in rescue, they will tell you just what a state we are in in this country of 'animal lovers'.
I feel very strongly that people need to take responsibility for the decisions they make. Far too many people rush into getting a puppy and quickly get bored, or realise it's not what they thought. I decided to write How To Pick A Puppy to help people make the right decision about whether or not to get a dog, and what type of dog would suit them and their lifestyle.
And finally, what writing project is next for you?
I'm taking a break from non-fiction books at the moment, and continuing to contribute features to newspapers and magazines, which is my day job. I am also at the early planning stages of a very personal historical fiction book. This will be a completely new arena for me, and one in which I have absolutely no training or experience. I do like a challenge though!
The Profumo Affair, by Vanessa Holburn, is out now.
Want more? Why not sift through the Ten for The TEN authors archive.
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