Pilgrimage inspires local author
Westville author speaks about her first novel, which depicts the tale of a group of pilgrims who were forced to travel on one of the most important Christian pilgrimages during medieval times.
SYLVIA Nilsen, a Westville resident, recently published her first novel, Pilgrim Footprints on the Sands of Time. The historical fiction, which is set in the 12th century, recounts the dangers and adversities a group of pilgrims face after they are instructed by King Henry, of England, to make a penitential pilgrimage along the Way of St James (commonly known by Spanish name El Camino de Santiago), to earn redemption for their souls. This follows an incident where the pilgrims’ families are disgraced when four knights, led by Sir Reginald FitzUrse, kill Tomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral.
According to Nilsen she was inspired to write the story after she had visited the Museum of London’s medieval gallery in 2004 and saw a brooch of St James that was uncovered in the river Thames in London. “The brooches were souvenirs that the pilgrims could buy when they arrived in Santiago. “I immediately thought that I could write my own story, depicting how the brooch ended up in the river, so the brooch plays an important role,” said Nilsen.
The writing bug bit Nilsen after she retired as an in house florist, at The Durban Club, 10 years ago. “I have always loved writing, so I started writing articles for various magazines, such as Femina, Your Baby, and Your Garden,” she said.
In 2011 Nilsen published her very first book, Your Camino, a comprehensive practical handbook for planning a pilgrimage in France and Spain. The extensive handbook includes chapters providing advice to pilgrims with disabilities as well as pilgrims who wish to walk with children, dogs and donkeys. “I walked my first Camino in 2002. I found that few people in South Africa knew about it. There were also many questions that I noticed were being asked repeatedly regarding the trail on a forum that I belonged to,” said Nilsen.
She collected as many questions as she could over a period of two years and then wrote the handbook after she received encouragement from friends and family.
Nilsen wrote two additional handbooks on the El Camino de Santiago trail before she wrote her novel, and is currently busy writing the sequel to her novel.
