Book Quote by Victoria Glendinning
““….unable to find a title for her last published novel, she wrote six lines which included her eventual title The Birds Fall Down. These lines were attributed to Conway Power (the name she generally appended to her poetry, even in her private notebooks), from a non-existent poem called ‘Guide to a Disturbed Planet.’ When the novel was published she had fun deflecting the enquiries of readers who wanted to know how to find the works of Conway Power. One was told a long story: Conway Power was a landowner in a remote area who had written thousands of poems and destroyed most of them. He had left some of them with her, given his property to a nephew, and gone abroad. ‘If I can trace the book (if there is a book) I’ll let you know.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Birds Fall Down (author unknown), post‑World War II
A writer invents a fictional poet and backstory to obscure the origin of a novel’s title, playing with authorial identity and mystery.
In simple terms: She creates a fake poet to hide the title’s source.
Key Takeaway
Use creative storytelling to protect privacy.
Themes
identity
deception
literature
authorship
mythmaking
Mood
playful
enigmatic
Type
anecdotal
literary
When to use this quote
- publishing
- creative writing
- literary criticism
- author interviews
- public curiosity
Key Concepts
postmodernism
authorial play
narrative concealment
Questions to Reflect On
- How does inventing a fictional source affect a work’s reception?
- What ethical lines are crossed when authors obscure truth?
A Different Perspective
The ruse may confuse readers and undermine trust in the author’s authenticity.
