WINTER

Based on events in the late life of poet and novelist Thomas Hardy, WINTER is receiving rave reviews across the board, as well as early nods for prize attention.

This moving novel is based on events in the late life of poet and novelist Thomas Hardy. WINTER is in the tradition of other novels based on famous writers, like Colm Toibin's THE MASTER and David Miller's TODAY, and is written with the piercing sensitivity of ON CHESIL BEACH. Three voices weave the story together: there is the celebrated author in the winter of his life, and his much younger second wife, Florence, who is suffering in his shadow, and that of the wife he now mourns so publicly, despite their estrangement when she was alive. And there is Gertie – a young local woman of great beauty and vivacity, the amateur actress who is given the role of Tess of the D'Urbervilles in the first stage production. But it seems to Hardy that she is his character's very embodiment, for she is the daughter of the farm girl who inspired his most famous novel. Ambition, hopeless infatuation and desperation are beautifully depicted in this haunting book, as life and literature collide. The interest in Thomas Hardy is perennial – there are many adaptations of his novels, especially of TESS OF THE D'URBERVILLES (famously Roman Polanski's version with Natassja Kinski, and most recently Michael Winterbottom's transposition of the story to India, as TRISHNA, with Freida Pinto of SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE fame). He's also become increasingly celebrated as a poet as well as a novelist. There will be lots of good PR angles and I include a bit of background below. Christopher Nicholson is the author of THE ELEPHANT KEEPER which was shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award in 2009 and described as ‘enchanting' (The Washington Post), ‘charming and courageous' (Sunday Express) and ‘a captivatingly original novel' Daily Mail. Internationally, THE ELEPHANT KEEPER was sold in Holland, China and Taiwan, but I think there is potential for more markets and I'm sure WINTER will win Christopher Nicholson a much wider audience.