Clara, Sadie, László, Paris: Three characters, one city, and the power of Art will change them all.

 

Clara’s done with psychotherapy and wants to be a biographer. Sadie’s a photographer whose work with traumatised migrants has taken its toll. Now she has ethical dilemmas about the value of Art and is suffering creative block. Their lives intertwine with the enigmatic presence of László who personifies the very essence of creativity.

 

In 100 fragments the lyrical prose charts the shifting balances within and between the characters.

 

Will Clara finally give in to her own limitations? Will Sadie rediscover her creativity? No-one can undo the past, but how often will they repeat the same mistakes?

 

And László? He alone seems to understand the complexities of human connection, and the indelible ways creativity shapes and transforms us.

 

When a lost psychotherapist meets a traumatised artist, who rescues whom? Shelley Day is a British writer based in Paris and Edinburgh. Her debut novel The Confession of Stella Moon won the Andrea Badenoch Prize. Her debut short story collection What are you like won the Edge Hill Prize. Shelley worked as a lawyer and later as a lecturer and research professor in London before settling down to write fiction. Paris Pages is her second novel.

 

On Paris Pages

 

‘This is a remarkable book. I loved every word of it, its subjects, objects, every idea in it, the form of it, the energies of it, its lyricism, its personnages. The format is superb – its fragmentary nature, its poetic interludes. Each fragment is engaging on its own yet building towards the integrity of the novel. And the richness of the allusions to Louise Bourgeois, Beckett, Patti Smith, Perec makes for an engaging read. I love the Celtic knottedness of the characters, and above all I love how it’s always just beyond my grasp so that I want to read it again and gain more from each reading. This should be a beautifully received book everywhere.’

 

—Lindsay Macgregor, award-winning poet and author of The Weepers and Desperate Fishwives

 

‘A novel in fragments, a perfect book for our time. These are pieces that re-enchant the world, underlining all the small things that usually escape our attention. Rich and inspiring, and a fabulous chronicle of Paris as it was before Lockdown.’

 

—Yan Rucar, writer, former researcher in digital humanities,
Universités of Ottawa, and Paris-Sorbonne

 

‘A thought-provoking and beautifully crafted novel. Rich, timely and compelling in its quest to unravel questions of personal and creative responsibility framed by the challenges of contemporary politics. I loved it.’

 

—Anne Bottomley, Kent Law School

 

“A novel of 100 fragments, a lyrical meditation on art and creativity, how they change us, and can even save us. This book left me with so much to think about.”

 

—Catherine Simpson, award winning novelist, memoirist, author
of One Body

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