Hannah Fielding's Blog, page 34

Debussy’s ‘Clair de Lune’: the signature song for my novel Concerto

Umberto went in and turned on his CD player. Debussy’s ‘Clair de Lune’, originally known as ‘Promenade Sentimentale’. The poignant notes seemed to describe the way he felt tonight. He […]

Writing the book you want to read: Inspiration from the late Toni Morrison

‘If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.’ This was the advice of author Toni Morrison, who passed […]

A trip to Comacina Island, Lake Como

My new novel, Concerto, is set on Lake Como. There, music therapist Catriona comes to Villa Monteverdi to work with Umberto, a pianist composer who has lost his sight, and […]

Books as treasure: valuable first editions

‘I ransack public libraries, and find them full of sunk treasure.’ So wrote Virginia Woolf, and how right she was, in more ways than one. Of course, libraries are full […]

‘Ich grolle nicht’: Singing from the heart in my novel Concerto

At the heart of my new novel Concerto is music – beautiful, poignant and cathartic. Umberto is a pianist composer who grew up in the world of opera, as his […]

Originality in writing: an impossible ideal?

Back in Shakespeare’s day, a writer was expected to copy a classical work; ‘unnecessary invention’ was frowned upon. According to Jack Lynch, in his article ‘The Perfectly Acceptable Practice of […]

On writing strong, independent heroines

Do you remember the first time you experienced Romeo and Juliet? For me, it was in my early teens, sitting in the audience of a playhouse and watching actors interpret […]

‘We must be treated as equals’: Louis Braille’s genius invention and my novel Concerto

In my latest novel, Concerto, music therapist Catriona travels to Lake Como, Italy, to work with a new client. Umberto was once a celebrated pianist composer, but since he went […]

La Traviata, Madam Butterfly and Carmen: operatic inspirations for my writing

Opera is a key theme in my novel Concerto. The heroine, Catriona, is a young woman who dreams of becoming an opera singer. She has the passion, and the talent: […]

Making your local library your haven

Last week, libraries were in the news in Britain: firstly, because Essex County Council reversed its decision to close 25 of its 74 libraries after extensive pressure from the public […]