Mixed Messages Extra: Read an extract from The Portrait Artist, plus win a copy
Your chance to dive into the 1890s art world and win a copy of Dani Heywood-Lonsdale's debut novel
Hi, welcome to Mixed Messages Extra! This week, we’re giving you the chance to win a copy of Dani Heywood-Lonsdale’s debut novel, The Portrait Artist.
We spoke to Dani Heywood-Lonsdale this week about her debut novel, which follows the impact of a mysterious painting left on the steps of the National Gallery. Set between London and Oxford, the painting’s appearance sparks rumours amongst 1890s society and opens up conversations on race, fame and the necessity of long-kept secrets.
Speaking of writing The Portrait Artist, Dani explained:
“The characters in my story are all completely fiction. I think they had to be fiction, because there's no record of people like them that I could find. My book is about hidden truths, and I knew the particular story I wanted to explore and why this person had to stay hidden.
Even though race becomes a defining factor later on in the story, if you were to reread it, it's really quietly interlaced throughout, showing how we’ve always been here.”
Read on to find out how to win a copy of this page-turning art world mystery.
