On 500th Anniversary of the Voyage Around the Globe, New Novel Shines Light on History
Interview with author Oliver Theakston, St. Elmo’s Fire
September 6th, 2021 —
Crowds gather in San Lucar de Barrameda and Seville, Spain to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the return of a ship called Victoria (Victory). La Victoria had completed a 3-year voyage that had begun in Seville, traveled West, and kept going. Initially commanded by Ferdinand Magellan with 5 ships, it was concluded by Juan Sebastian Elcano with only 1 ship. The trials and hardships endured by the voyagers were as great as the distance they covered, but so were their accomplishments. For their nation and for all of history to come.
In his 2022 novel, St. Elmo’s Fire, Oliver Theakston relates the story of this expedition through the eyes of Juan de Morales, a real physician in the historical fleet rosters, fictionalized with depth and heart. I asked Oliver 10 questions about the process behind his extraordinary novel.
1. What first drew your attention to the subject of the Magellan-Elcano Voyage?
I remember seeing a Reddit post in 2019 (most likely marking the date of the Armada’s departure from Spain). Someone in the comments recommended Over the Edge of the World by Laurence Bergeen. I’ve always been fascinated by what drives explorers so I bought the book and read it in January 2020 and was struck by the drama that unfolded during the voyage. The whole narrative was almost unbelievable and seemed perfect for a fictional interpretation either on screen or in a book. But when I searched for one I was disappointed to find there were very few. I turned over the story in my mind for the next year until, during a lockdown here in the UK in early 2021, I finally had the time to start writing what became St. Elmo’s Fire.
2. Why do you think Magellan and the Magellan-Elcano voyage matters (or should matter) to people today?
As I wrote in the afterword of St. Elmo’s Fire, Magellan’s voyage may not have been one of conquest, but the consequences of its success were devastating for the people the armada encountered. By circumnavigating the globe, Magellan/Elcano and the Spanish crown essentially laid down the gauntlet for other empires to follow in their footsteps until controlling trade from the east became a right of passage for every empire. The re-examination of the history of colonialism and colonisation is long overdue but, in the west, it is very focused on North and South America. But what has been unleashed upon the people and landscape of Southeast Asia for over five hundred years by empire after empire is appalling and really ought to be more widely known.
So that is why I believe the voyage should matter today: it is the opening chapter of a story of cruelty, hardship and exploitation that continues to this day.
3. How did you choose the title, “St Elmo’s Fire?” What does that phenomenon capture about the story for you?
For sailors at the time, the phenomenon of St. Elmo’s Fire was considered a good omen during storms and a sign that God was with them. But for Juan de Morales, the main character of my book, it has the opposite effect. For him, St. Elmo’s Fire always seems to accompany some trauma and so, when he sees the light burning from the mainmast of the Victoria early in the voyage, the vision chills him to the bone. Essentially, the book is about false hope and St. Elmo’s Fire is the embodiment of that for de Morales.
4. How do you write historical characters? Are there clues you look for in the historical sources that hint at personality traits?
For me, it all comes down to depth. No one in the world is one dimensional and characters in historical fiction shouldn’t be either — Joseph Stalin was a maniac, but he also liked growing watermelons. Essentially, no one in the world has ever believed themselves to be a villain. They act the way they do because they believe it is right, that their strength of will and their leadership is what’s necessary to right the course of a listing ship.
I would also say that even the worst characters in St. Elmo’s Fire like Carvalho or Cartagena deserve to be given their due. They were real men who left lives and families behind when they joined the armada. I think we have a tendency to see historical figures as coldly calculating and vicious. But they were human beings just like we are today. They had hopes, dreams and fears, they loved and were loved and so many factors influenced their decisions and actions. I feel it is my duty to do justice to them, to at least try to show why they were who they were.
I usually try to put myself in their shoes. Were I Elcano, why would I mutiny? Were I Pigafetta, why would I heap so much praise on Magellan? The answers always reveal themselves and usually their actions are justifiable, at least from their perspective.
5. How did you choose and develop your protagonist, Juan de Morales?
When I was first planning St. Elmo’s Fire, I intended to write it from the perspectives of Magellan and Elcano. But that didn’t sit right with me. I’ve never really bought into the ‘great man reading’ of history and so I started searching for an alternative. I knew I needed a character who had a reason to pass between the ships so that he could witness everything that happened. That brought me to the crew lists on rutaelcano.com and in there I found the fleet’s physician.
As for his character, de Morales is a broken man carrying a lot of trauma. But he hasn’t given up hope that something can reignite his spirit. As I wrote in the opening chapter: against his better judgement, de Morales tries to see the goodness in his fellow man. It’s that weak optimism that keeps him going, keeps him searching for something beautiful in a world he finds so distressing.
6. There’s clearly a lot of research behind Juan de Morales’ knowledge of medicine. What inspired you to investigate this aspect of the history so closely?
It had to be real. I wanted the reader to feel the patient’s pain and to share de Morales’ desire to ease it. I think it is a misconception that the doctors of the past were cruel and heartless. But these people chose to be doctors or surgeons and to enter the profession cost them a great deal of money and time. They could have chosen to do anything but they chose to help people. Granted their knowledge may have been lacking or misdirected, but I believe they were always doing their best to help their patients. The futility of medicine at the time is also a major factor in de Morales’ character arc. He wants to help, and he constantly tries to, but he blames himself when his treatments do not succeed.
7. What would you say makes “good” historical fiction? Is it the same as good history as well as good fiction? How do you strike a balance between factuality and entertainment?
Good historical fiction should feel immediate, I think that’s why I naturally lean towards writing in the present tense. I wanted the reader to feel like de Morales does — powerless, lost, confused and sometimes frightened.
As a general rule, I do very little research before I start writing — just enough to get the skeleton of the story. Once the first draft is done, it becomes clear what needs more detail and that’s when I’ll do the research. But most of what I learned doesn’t appear in the final draft of St. Elmo’s Fire and I think that’s a good thing. Historical fiction shouldn’t exist to show off what an author knows. As long as I followed that mantra, I think the balance would come naturally. If you are a writer, though, don’t worry — all that extra knowledge you gained will show through in the final product.
8. How did you choose which events of the Magellan-Elcano Voyage to cover?
I tried to put everything in I possibly could but there are limits. There are parts of the narrative I was desperate to include but simply couldn’t for time purposes. Carvalho, for example, was reunited with an estranged son when the fleet anchored in Rio de Janeiro. That would have been a fascinating thing to explore, especially given the part Carvalho plays later in the story. But, unfortunately, I had to leave it out.
Also, the book is very strictly told from de Morales’ perspective. If he does not see an event or learn of it, neither does the reader. So, for example, we never learn what happens to the San Antonio or Enrique. I think that adds to the realism, too. How often do we never learn what happened to an old friend or why something happened the way it did? I hope that by leaving some questions unanswered I can keep my readers engaged.
9. What do you think led Magellan to the Battle at Mactan and its outcome? Was it an inevitable result of circumstance? Was it from a flaw or a virtue in Magellan’s character? Was it random and avoidable, or else part of someone’s bigger plan?
In a word, desperation. I don’t believe Magellan knew what he was getting into when he set out to circumnavigate the globe. He certainly underestimated the distances and probably overestimated his abilities as a leader. By the time the fleet arrived in Cebu, the majority of its crew were on the brink of starvation and Magellan doubtless knew he would have another mutiny on his hands if he lingered too long. Equally, he could have travelled on and found more accommodating people on another island, but his ego and hardheadedness stopped him from admitting that. I suspect he felt he needed to prove his worth (to himself, his crew and the Spanish crown) against what he saw as a lesser people.
At the same time, Humabon was clearly a fiercely intelligent leader who likely recognised and manipulated Magellan’s desperation for his own advantage. He saw the power of European weaponry and believed it could help him remove a thorn in his side in Lapu Lapu. But I don’t believe anyone had a big plan in anything that unfolded before, during or after the battle of Mactan: those events were simply exhausted, confused people making hasty decisions and trying to turn the consequences to their favour as best they could.
I would say the slaughter of the crew at Humabon’s feast was certainly an act of desperation rather than the savagery it might first appear as. Humabon had shown his hand to Lapu Lapu and failed. He knew an attack would come from Mactan at some point and he likely suspected he could not win that battle. And so he tried to get what he needed by any means necessary to save himself and his kingdom.
Which brings me to Enrique. He is a fascinating man and one whose life after the armada I would love to explore at a later date…
10. What are your writing influences?
I don’t have many specific literary influences but the big influence on St. Elmo’s Fire was Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. You could also draw lines between my novel and The Moor’s Account by Laila Lalami and Joseph Boyden’s The Orenda. I used to love classic literature which definitely impacted my writing style, so I would have to include Dickens, HG Wells and Alexander Pope as well.
I have a degree in Film Studies so that plays a big role, too. You could find threads of the tone of my writing in the films of Denis Villeneuve, Terrence Mallick and Alfonso Cuarón as well as Paul Thomas Anderson and Alejandro González Iñárritu (especially Biutiful — that film broke me for days!)
Oh, and everything by Nick Cave. His work is beautiful, poetic and twisted.
St. Elmo’s Fire can be purchased on Amazon.com in ebook or paperback format. It is currently FREE on Kindle to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Victoria’s return.
Goodreads reviews here
Oliver Theakston was born in Greenwich and lives in Belfast
Medium.com/@o.theakston
Facebook.com/OliverTheakston
Twitter.com/OliverTheakston
