Four lives collide when one of the world's most famous paintings is stolen. It's a mystery that has the nation talking, but while Picasso's Weeping Woman might be absent from the walls of the National Gallery, in other parts of Melbourne the controversial painting's presence is being felt by Guy, Rafi, Luke and Penny for four very different reasons.
-The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex is about the unexpected consequences of our actions, as well as the importance of family,' says the author, Gabrielle Williams. -It examines the cascading effect a single action can have on a number of people. It looks at guilt, secrecy, deception and which version of the truth is the 'real" one. It examines grief and madness, as well as the mother/child connection. It puts a spotlight on toxic relationships and teases out questions about family and love and personal responsibility. And then it has a big belly laugh and wonders what the fuss is all about.'
From the author of Beatle Meets Destiny, shortlisted for the Prime Minister's Award and the Victorian Premier's Literary Award, and The Reluctant Hallelujah, shortlisted for the Gold Inky Award, comes this quirky, beautifully told comedy. You'll fall in love with these characters (despite their flaws!) and perhaps see a little of yourself reflected back. Perfect for lovers of Rainbow Rowell and Simmone Howell.
Gabrielle Williams has three kids, one husband and a dog. She has been described by The Age reviewer Cameron Woodhead as -one of the funniest young adult fiction authors around'. As part of her research for The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex, Gabrielle interviewed a number of people – some of whom may or may not have been the actual Australian Cultural Terrorists.
The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and his Ex
Allen and Unwin
Author: Gabrielle Williams
RRP: $17.99
Question: Where did the idea for The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and his Ex originate?
Gabrielle Williams: I've been tooling around with the idea of writing a book based on the theft of the Weeping Woman for years now. In fact, I got an Australia Council grant years ago and write a whole entire book on the idea, then threw it away because it didn't work properly.
The problem with the basic concept, for me, was that the Australian Cultural Terrorists never got caught. The painting was returned to a locker at Spencer Street station, and nothing happened. Which is where it gets difficult from a writer's perspective, because there are -beats' you need to hit when you're writing a book, but with the theft there was no dramatic ending – no cop chase, no thieves caught – so the beats petered off. After trying to make the idea work I shelved it and worked on another novel instead – my next book called -The Reluctant Hallelujah'.
After finishing -The Reluctant Hallelujah', I started looking up the internet for things about the Weeping Woman (I was still keen to weave it into a book), when I stumbled upon the story of La Llorona: a South American myth about a woman who drowned her own children. They say that if you ever see La Llorona, she'll try to steal one of your children and drown them. La Llorona – translated into English – is -weeping woman'. And bang, I had my story. I took the real life theft of the Weeping Woman, and wove threads of the La Llorona myth throughout, and there you have it: -The Guy The Girl The Artist & His Ex'.
Question: Why did you decide to set the book in Melbourne?
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