click on the word NEWS above for more news (with photos!)

 
1.7.2009
This week sees the publication of The Undrowned Child, Michelle Lovric's new novel for older children. I think that it'll turn out to be easily the best Venice-set novel of the year and it certainly seems that it'll be getting the promotion that it, and the author, deserves. But maybe I'm a bit biased...my review is here.

There's a handsome and entertaining (and very Venetian) site devoted to the
new book at www.undrownedchild.com

10.6.2009
Having had an early Spring fairly full of Donna Leon, I'm now moving on to an early summer of Sarah Waters. With her enigmatic new novel, The Little Stranger freshly read and enjoyed muchly, and herself spotted in my favourite local Indian vegetarian restaurant a couple of weeks back, I'm also freshly watching her TV adaptations for my London Films page.

 4.6.2009
A bit of a hiatus period at the moment for new books and interesting CD releases; and all the better TV series seem to have ended for the Summer. Yawn. A good time for headshaking at tedious and unsurprising political scandals, though, and festivals. The biggy amongst many in London is the Story of London 'celebration' happening all through June. It includes the Lives of Buildings weekend on the 26th-28th. All good stuff, only spoilt by having our idiot mayor grinning out from the publicity.

15.5.2009
Looking at my updates list shows that, after a rash last May and June, my Florence-related content has been pretty sparse. There's just been nothing. But I have had a poke around found a tempting book called The Doorbells of Florence by Andrew Losowsky, where the author's photographs of Florence doorbells precede the stories that the bells suggest. I like the sound of that one. Also The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston, about the famous failure of the investigation into the famous murders, is now out in the UK. And in other non-Venice-related news, publishers Oxygen Books are bringing out books of writings related to particular cities, called city-lit, and amongst the first are London, in June, and Berlin, in November. Stick around for reviews, soon.

11.5.2009
 OK, so this site is called Fictional Cities because it deals with fiction written about cities, but sometimes the truth can be fascinating. My pile of books to be reviewed is topped by three works of non-fiction which I think will prove this contention. First up is Piazza San Marco by Iain Fenlon, which  is so far proving an enjoyable, elegant and compulsive read. Then there's Venice, Cita Excelentissima: Selections from the Renaissance Diaries of Marin Sanudo which looks a bit heavier going but comes very highly recommended. Lastly a book which to see is to want - a handsomely illustrated book about Venice's many (now) abandoned islands called The Abandoned Islands of the Venetian Lagoon (Le isole abbandonate della laguna veneziana) by Giorgio & Maurizio Crovato. This last one has, apart from the Venice interest, the whole romantic ruins thing going for it too. Reviews soon.

6.5.2009
More Donna Leon news courtesy of Carlo over at Italian-mysteries.com. In an interview last week in San Francisco the woman herself  revealed that she's only ever seen two of the German TV adaptations that she is so dismissive of, and only in German, which she doesn't speak. Also it seems that her favoured producer to make the mooted BBC series is the same one who did the recent marvellous adaptations of Bleak House and Little Dorrit.

29.4.2009
Readers of my trip reports will know that after my somewhat lustre-lacking 2008 visit I resolved to miss a year to try and get my Venice-fan mojo back. Yea right, like that was gonna happen. I've just booked this year's trip for the last week in September, and am looking forward avidly already. Gelati, gatti, getting into some odd places being used for the Biennale...you know how it is.
 
 

more news here 

6.2009 Michelle Lovric The Undrowned Child Venice
6.2009 Heather Reyes ed. city-lit - London
6.2009 Chloe Aridjis Book of Clouds Berlin
5.2009 Iain Fenlon Piazza San Marco Venice
5.2009 The Abandoned Islands of the Venetian Lagoon Venice
5.2009 A-Z Atlas and Guide to London 1930s Facsimile London
5.2009 In memory of me Venice films
4.2009 Toni Sepeda Brunetti's Venice Venice
4.2009 Donna Leon About Face Venice
4.2009 Edward Sklepowich The Veils of Venice Venice
4.2009 Elle Newmark The Book of Unholy Mischief Venice
3.2009 Mark Frutkin The Lion of Venice Venice
3.2009 Night Train to Venice Venice films
3.2009 Sophie Masson The Madman of Venice Venice
3.2009 Geoff Dyer Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi Venice
2.2009 L.M. Jackson A most dangerous woman London
2.2009 Jenny Linford The London Cookbook London
2.2009 Brideshead Revisited 2008  Venice films
1.2009 Ward Lock London Guide Book c.1940 London
1.2009 The Donna Leon TV Series Venice films
1.2009 Affinity London films
12.2008 Paul Talling Derelict London London
11.2008 Birgit Haustedt Rilke's Venice Venice
11.2008 Friedrich von Schiller  The man who sees ghosts Venice
10.2008 Marcus Sedgwick  The kiss of death Venice
10.2008 H. S. Bhabra Gestures Venice
9.2008 George Mann The Affinity Bridge London
9.2008 Michael Dibdin Dead lagoon Venice
9.2008 Sarah Caudwell Thus was Adonis murdered Venice
8.2008 Beverle Graves Myers Interrupted aria Venice
8.2008 Marina Fiorato The Glassblower of Murano Venice
7.2008 Ian Kelly Casanova Venice
7.2008 Patrick Hamilton Twenty thousand streets
under the sky London
6.2008 Amici meie Florence films
6.2008 Robert Hellenga The Italian Lover Florence
6.2008 Magdalen Nabb Vita nuova Florence
6.2008 Steven Carroll Twilight in Venice Venice
5.2008 Conrad Williams The Unblemished London
5.2008 Lisa McGarry The Piazzas of Florence Florence
5.2008 Laurel Corona The Four Seasons: a novel of Vivaldi's Venice
5.2008 S. M. Peters Whitechapel Gods London