Still Life
Still Life by Sarah Winman, published by HarperCollins Publishers Limited in June 2021, is a narrative that intertwines love, war, and art against the backdrop of World War II. The story begins in 1944, in a Tuscan villa’s wine cellar, where two strangers, British soldier Ulysses Temper and art historian Evelyn Skinner, meet during a tumultuous evening. Their encounter sparks a connection that influences their lives and those around them for decades, exploring themes of beauty and fate.
Readers will find a rich tapestry of experiences as the narrative unfolds from the picturesque Tuscan hills to the bustling streets of London’s East End. The novel delves into the complexities of family life and the impact of historical events on personal relationships. With elements of romance and biographical storytelling, Still Life presents a heartfelt exploration of how art and human connections endure through the trials of time and conflict.
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THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
WINNER OF DYMOCKS BOOK OF THE YEAR
A GUARDIAN BEST BOOK OF 2021
A BBC BETWEEN THE COVERS BOOK CLUB PICK
WINNER OF THE INWORDS LITERARY AWARD
‘Sheer joy’ Graham Norton
‘Utterly beautiful … filled with hope’ Joanna Cannon, author of Three Things About Elsie
‘A bear-hug of a book’ Rachel Joyce, author of Miss Benson’s Beetle
From the author of When God was a Rabbit and Tin Man, Still Life is a big-hearted story of people brought together by love, war, art and the ghost of E.M. Forster.
1944, in the ruined wine cellar of a Tuscan villa, as bombs fall around them, two strangers meet and share an extraordinary evening.
Ulysses Temper is a young British soldier, Evelyn Skinner is a sexagenarian art historian and possible spy. She has come to Italy to salvage paintings from the wreckage and relive memories of the time she encountered EM Forster and had her heart stolen by an Italian maid in a particular Florentine room with a view.
Evelyn’s talk of truth and beauty plants a seed in Ulysses’ mind that will shape the trajectory of his life – and of those who love him – for the next four decades.
Moving from the Tuscan Hills and piazzas of Florence, to the smog of London’s East End, Still Life is a sweeping, joyful novel about beauty, love, family and fate.
‘Four course nourishment for all Winman fans’ Patrick Gale, author of Take Nothing With You
‘Extraordinary . . . my book of the year’ Liz Nugent, author of Our Little Cruelties
‘The kind of story that bolsters the heart and soul’ Donal Ryan, author of Strange Flowers
Sunday Times bestseller 09/06/2021
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