Does anyone else remember the Scholastic Book Fair? If you were a millennial like me in Australia you would remember bringing home the newspaper like catalogue to your parents, presenting them with what books you wanted, and hoped your parents were happy to pay. When I was young I was a voracious reader, I devoured books with a laser like precision and my favourite topics involved the past. My aunt was keen to get me into history, introducing me to stories from Babylonian writings, to the Underground Railroad. At the age of nine, I saw a book that was to change my life and the entire trajectory of my career. In 2002/2003 I was allowed to purchase one Horrible Histories book, and that book was the Groovy Greeks.
Yes, I was one of those children. Once I got my hands on the Groovy Greeks I read it cover to cover in one sitting. I was enthralled by the black and white illustrations, and the complexities of such an ancient society. Living in Australia, the concept of ‘Greece’ was exotic and so far away from anything I had experienced before. I have a family that has a strong interest in history, with an aunt who was trained as a history teacher. She explained events in the past in a conscious way and used language that was appropriate for a child. And she did not shy away from the hideousness of human nature. Horrible Histories had a similar philosophy, and executed it in a way that was both interesting and entertaining. Honestly, I wonder what would have happened if my first Horrible Histories book was Rotten Romans or Measly Middle Ages or even, Barmy British Empire, I think I would legitimately be in another historical field.
When I was 12, I had read that book hundreds of times, and added more volumes to my collection. At that age, children in Australia often learn about democracy and how voting and elections are prepared, processed, and parliament-ised. At that age I had to write a project on the history of democracy and focused strongly on its supposed invention by the ancient Athenians. At the time, I did not understand the nuances of different poleis of Greece and made the common assumption that Athens was the only society that mattered. During my research, I was intrigued about Solon – an Archaic Greek figure who the Athenians attributed to creating their laws. Though I don’t remember the rest of the project, Solon was a figure who stayed in my mind well into my adulthood. The laws that were attributed to Solon intrigued me even more. But as a primary school child, I did not have the resources of the skills to examine these laws any further.
Sometimes, I look at my old Horrible Histories books, though they are dog-eared, creased, torn and little mouldy I am unable to part with them. The situate me in a time of my life where I become a little history nerd. With a reputation for knowledge that followed me through the transition of primary school to high school. It prepared me for spending time in the school library during lunchtime, reading books on the Cuban revolution, the American Civil Rights Movement, ancient druids, Pompeii and my ultimate love, Classical Athens.
The Weird, Wide World of Katherine 