I am so excited as I‘ve just received delivery of my new non-fiction book: In Search of Annalena. A Life of Tragedy and Triumph in Renaissance Florence. I am surrounded by cardboard boxes ‘chock-full’ of pristine copies ‘hot off the press’ from Troubador publishing; it is just like Christmas come early!
It’s been many years in the making and I have to pinch myself to make sure that it is all true. I have to admit that it is both strange and exhilarating to see my name emblazoned across the book covers.
As the title suggests the book is about my own personal journey to discover more about the life of the Italian Renaissance noblewoman Annalena Malatesta and her enduring legacy in the city of Florence. For so long, the actual process of writing about her life had been very much an individual experience for me and although separated by centuries, Annalena Malatesta and myself had become as one. It is therefore somewhat peculiar but immensely gratifying that I should now be sharing her story with others.
Over the next few days I will be busy ‘pen at the ready’ signing pre-orders and I thank everyone who has already shown interest in buying a copy of my book.
The days, weeks and months ahead will be yet one further journey for me as I endeavour to spread the story of Annalena and to reach out to everyone who may have a love of Florence, its history and /or Italian Renaissance art.
