Book after Book

By Lucinda Hawksley Published by Andre Deutsch Ltd It was the year 1996. I was in London for the first time when I saw her at the Tate Britain. For some time I would simply think of her as the model for John Everett Millais’s haunting Ophelia . But she had a name, that peculiarly beautiful woman: Elizabeth Siddall or, as she was later known, Lizzie Siddal. In Lizzie Siddal: The Tragedy of a Pre-Raphaelite Supermodel , British biographer and author Lucinda Hawksley uses her talent as a writer to bring Lizzie to life and narrate her fascinating ascent to fame. To do so, she combines her storytelling skills with the words of the people who knew her. It’s not just a woman, who arises from the page, it’s the whole Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the people who followed and were connected to the artists of the group. Similar to Mary Benson’s biography , which I read earlier on this year, this work of non-fiction reads like a novel and keeps you hooked from start to finish. Friendship, love, b...

In parts of Italy, December 13th - or Saint Lucia’s day - is a very special day. Forget about Santa Claus and Christmas day, this is when you get your presents! I haven’t celebrated Saint Lucia’s day since I was a little girl… until this year, when the people who organised The Big Book Group event at Brighton’s Pavilion Theatre brought the magic back into an otherwise uncelebrated day! As the name suggests, this was an occasion for book groups to come together and enjoy an evening of bookish delights. “Unattached” book lovers, however, were also welcome, which was good for me as I haven’t yet taken the plunge into the world of book groups. The stars of the evening were authors Carol Birch and Araminta Hall , who both experienced a very successful 2011. Carol Birch’s latest novel, Jamrach's Menagerie , was shortlisted for the Man Booker prize, while Araminta Hall’s debut novel, Everything and Nothing , made it to Richard and Judy’s Autumn Reads. The two writers took it in turns to...