A deceptively light satire on the modern writing and publishing world.
Blackbird 2015 (Paperback and Kindle)
Anna Bright never wanted to write a novel. At least, that’s what she tells herself. But a chance encounter with a famous novelist and a surprise gift of an art book cut a chink in Anna’s resolve. The short, tragic life of Modigliani’s mistress, Jeanne Hébuterne, becomes an obsession and before she knows it, she has enrolled on a creative writing course, is writing about a fictional Jeanne and mixing with the literati.
As her novel grows and takes on a life of its own, Anna feels her own life becoming increasingly irrelevant. She is absorbed by the story of Jeanne, who committed suicide aged 19 following the artist’s death, jumping from a high window in Paris, pregnant with his child.
When Anna is invited to take part in a televised literary competition, hosted by an unscrupulous writing guru, she agrees, but later regrets her choice. Under the gaze of the camera, she has become part of a TV circus; unlike the Bohemian Jeanne, she has sold out. Will she manage to save her sanity and her relationship, before she becomes a by-product of the literary world?
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Read about the evolution of The Modigliani Girl here.
This is an intriguing novel, with several levels of story. On the face of it, it has a Bridget Jones-esque story line, with Anna, the heroine, on a quest, not for romantic success as Bridget wanted, but for literary success…The story that follows, goes way beyond the initial chick lit feel, being an allegorical tale of the increasingly X factor world in which we live…A great read, funny and provocative.
Voula Greenfield, Author | The Modigliani Girl
This is a beautifully written novel … the story often drips deliciously with satire… unusual, fascinating and multi-layered
Pete Barber, Author | The Modigliani Girl
The Modigliani Girl is an unusual page turner of a novel that dares to be a bit different. I really warmed to the character of Anna, as she faces that dilemma faced by woman writers since time began – how to have ‘a room of one’s own’
Louise McIvor, Creative Writing Tutor, Queen’s University, Belfast | The Modigliani Girl
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