That Memory, You See

By Guy Gavriel Kay

The Beguiling of Merlin, by Edward Burne-Jones, 1872–1877. Lady Lever Art Gallery ©Wikimedia Commons

I’ve been engaged with and by the Arthurian legends for a very long time, starting with poems about Tintagel and Guinevere and continuing, of course, with The Fionavar Tapestry. I suppose this new poem says I’ve not left that fascination behind.

There are many variations of the Merlin and Nimue story, including different names for her, and diverse settings in England and France. It is possible this poem has an origin in a visit to Brittany last autumn to the Arthurian Centre in The Château de Comper at Broceliande and a walk in the forest with one of the coordinators. But the origins of any poem (any work at all) are often mysterious, even to the author. I’m used to being surprised by what I want to say.

About the Author

Guy Gavriel Kay has published fourteen novels and a book of poetry. His work has been translated into 30 languages. Before beginning his writing career, Kay was retained by the Estate of J.R.R. Tolkien to assist in the editorial construction of The Silmarillion. Kay is a multiple World Fantasy Award nominee and won that award for Ysabel. He was awarded the International Goliardos Prize for his contributions to the literature of the fantastic. Both Under Heaven and River of Stars won the Prix Elbakin in France for best foreign-language speculative fiction work. In 2014 he was invested with the Order of Canada, the country’s highest civilian honor.