Since I first saw this play as a young woman, it has been my favourite work of Shakespeare – for its humour, its cleverness, its colour, its celebration of love and magic and nature. I often find myself recalling lines when I am somewhere beautiful, somewhere it seems magic must
In The Echoes of Love, Venetia is an architect by training who has chosen to specilise in mosaic restoration, and Paolo is a man of means who has bought a property housing mosaics that require tender loving care. The result: Venetia and Paolo come together for the sake of the
In my novel The Echoes of Love, Venetia is a woman who has been burned badly by love, and is consequently afraid to trust her heart to the attentive and attractive Paolo. Lost and distressed, she seeks out the guidance of a wise elder, Chinese man Ping Lü, who is
From the blurb: 1681. Glassblowing is the lifeblood of the Republic and Venetian mirrors are more precious than gold. Jealously guarded by the murderous Council of Ten, the glassblowers of Murano are virtually imprisoned on their island in the lagoon. But the greatest artist of their number, Corradino Manin, sells
Picture the scene: You’re back at school, in English class. Your teacher hands out sheets of paper and pens, writes ‘Le Grande Romance!’ on the board, and tells you, ‘There is the title. Now write me a story. You have one hour. Begin!’ Perhaps you sit for a few minutes
In my book The Echoes of Love, the hero, Paolo, is a something of a storyteller – though he is not a writer, he certainly has the mind of one. Thus he takes an interest in the local folklore of the places to which he travels. So when he tells
In The Echoes of Love the heroine, Venetia, is waiting for Paolo in his study, when she comes across a book: She crossed over to the opposite wall, between two of the huge windows, where floor-to-ceiling bookcases stood. Looking round, she could see that more vast bookcases stretched up between
In recent weeks I’ve blogged about two Italian staples: pizza and pasta. But no look at Italian cuisine is complete without gnocchi. Have you tried gnocchi? I still recall the first time I did, and I found it hard to pin down exactly what it was – bread? pasta? potato?
No doubt you’ve heard of the Piazza San Marco (St Mark’s Square) of Venice, which Napolean called ‘the drawing room of Europe’. You’re probably also familiar with the Basilica Cattedrale Patriarcale di San Marco (St Mark’s Basilica), which lies at the piazza’s eastern end and is a stunning example of
Last week I blogged on the history of that classic Italian food, pasta. But say ‘Italian cuisine’ to most people and their likely response is ‘pasta and pizza’. Though we may not eat the two together, still they are traditionally paired as the most popular of Italian foods. Pizza, of
From the blurb: Damaged and beautiful, they were the generation who lost so much and became ‘spare brides’. The richly compelling and emotional new novel from Sunday Times bestselling author Adele Parks is the powerful story of four extraordinary women left to pick up the pieces of their lives, in the scarred,
‘Life,’ said Italian director Federico Fellini, ‘is a combination of magic and pasta.’ To all the countries Italians have emigrated, they have brought with them their simple, nutritious and versatile food. These days, pasta is on the menu in many countries internationally – it’s something of a staple in the
Researching my novel The Echoes of Love wasn’t remotely a chore for me, it was a pleasure, especially when it came to reading up on Italian legends. Venetian history, in particular, is so colourful, with fascinating characters who really embody the infamous Italian passion. Passion, of course, can lead to
Venice is a city of waterways and, consequently, a city of bridges. Did you know that there are more than 400 bridges in the city, connecting the 117 islands and crossing the 150 canals? Follow Hannah Fielding’s board Bridges of Venice on Pinterest. These bridges are well-known for their memorable
I came across a mention of this book in the latest edition of Mslexia magazine, and was intrigued. Literary cocktails? Marrying the joy of literature with the pleasure of a colourful, fun tipple? Sounded like a recipe for success. What a fun book! Just take a look at some of
Picture the scene: You’re wandering through the Dorsoduro district of Venice on a spring evening, hand in hand with a loved one. You come to a bridge near Campo San Barnaba, and you step out on it together to the centre, where you lean on the balustrade and drink in
‘Layla, you’ve got me on my knees. Layla, I’m begging, darling, please. Layla, darling, won’t you ease my worried mind.’ So sang Eric Clapton. ‘Layla’ is widely heralded as one of the greatest rock love songs of all time, but do you know the story behind the music? The inspiration
Readers of my novels will know that I am a very visual writer, especially when it comes to describing colours. Not for me grey, dreary scenery – I love bold, vibrant colours that catch the eye and touch the soul. Do you remember the key line in Alice Walker’s novel The
Have you visited the Prado art museum in Madrid? It is one of my favourite places on the planet. Not only is the building itself beautiful, but it houses some of the most important and awe-inspiring artworks in the world. The museum was commissioned in the late 18th century by
While reading an article in the Irish Independent on romance novels, a quotation from author Kate Kerrigan caught my eye: ‘The people who are reading romance are not like the people who are reading the Booker shortlist. They are voracious readers and they are getting through a volume of books.’
Whenever I visit Spain, top of my ‘to do’ list is going to a festival. The Spanish love festivals: it’s a wonderful reason to come together and celebrate everything from a religious event to the change of the season to the harvest. Dancing, music, revelry – these are always on
How to Do Good: Essays on Building a Better World, published by my publisher, London Wall, is a collection of essays by thought leaders, celebrities, statesmen and women, Nobel prize winners, social entrepreneurs, philanthropists and others who are driving and inspiring positive change. This thought piece focuses on an essay
Secrets, deceit, betrayal – and revelation, truth and loyalty: these are the themes that underpin my Andalucían Nights trilogy. In the final book in the series, Legacy, the heroine Luna has secrets that she is keeping from Ruy, the hero, and top of the list is the fact that she
As part of my FANtastic Fiesta, running until 14 August, I’m giving away three lovely wooden Spanish hand fans, as featured on the covers of my Andalucían Nights trilogy: No doubt you know that the hand fan is a classic object that blends both fashion and function. But how much
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