A few months ago, I came across a website that I thought (and still do) was a brilliant idea. I can’t think why it hasn’t been done before – or maybe it has, but I haven’t found it yet. Art in Fiction: listings of novels that are inspired by the arts, whether it be music, painting, theatre, architecture, dance or any category of artistic endeavour.
The website is the brainchild of author Carol Cram, who has herself published three historical novels about women in the arts.
In addition to the listings, Art in Fiction has a blog, and Carol invites guest posts on fiction inspired by the arts in addition to her own posts. You’ll find recommended reads on a particular theme as well as reviews. Recent posts include, “Feel-Good Artsy Novels to Keep Your Spirits Up”. I think we all need that right now!
Carol generously does not charge authors for listing or promoting their books, and she provides a great service to both readers and writers in my view.
One of her innovations is to feature a Novel of the Week. This week she has kindly chosen to highlight my novel Overture, which is set in rural France and Paris 1897-1914. It concerns a young woman who has a burning ambition to sing and is very loosely based on the life of a real opera singer, Emma Calvé.
Overture is Book 1 of a trilogy following the main character, Marie-Thérèse, up to the end of World War II. Book 2, Intermezzo and Book 3, Finale, will be published in 2022 and 2023 respectively.
In the meantime, a prequel to the trilogy, Augustine, is finished and will be published at the end of April. Watch this space for more details.
Copyright © Vanessa Couchman 2020. All rights reserved.
Vanessa Couchman 