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| French Collection by Vanessa Couchman |
To celebrate the release of French Collection I am welcoming author
Vanessa Couchman to share a guest post with us today. I have followed Vanessa's
blog for many years, read some of her short stories published in a couple of
anthologies, thoroughly enjoyed her first novel The House at Zaronza and was
lucky enough to have met her at the Charroux Literary Festival this summer. You
can imagine I was quite excited when I heard she would be publishing French
Collection, twelve short stories set in France, and that she was happy to offer
me a review copy. Thank you Vanessa, over to you:
Many thanks for inviting me to French Village Diaries today, Jacqui.
Why France Provides Inspiration for Fiction
Twenty years ago, my husband and I bought an 18th-century
farmhouse in southwest France and moved here to live. It’s been a big
adventure. Above all, I have learned far more about the history, culture and
customs of this entrancing country.
In 1997, I was a freelance management consultant and copywriter. My work
involved a lot of writing, but I had no idea that I would move on to writing
fiction. Living in France has played a large part in that.
When we moved here, I knew very little about this part of France. We had
been here on holiday and enjoyed the climate, the food, the perched hilltop
villages and the glorious countryside. I had a vague idea that the Hundred
Years War had been fought around here, but beyond that my knowledge of the rich
historical heritage was woefully thin.
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| Najac |
Moving here was a voyage of discovery. At first, it was an extended
holiday and we visited all the touristy places, such as the stunning villages
of Najac, Saint-Cirq-Lapopie and Bruniquel. They have fascinating and often
turbulent histories. Gradually, I learned that le petit patrimoine – wayside crosses, shepherd’s huts, tiny
chapels buried in the woods – also harbours stories that are poignant, romantic
or tragic.
An isolated cross with intricate carvings was a futile attempt to ward
off the phylloxera bug that devastated the French vineyards in the 19th
century. A pigeonnier (dovecot)
became a prison for a girl who fell pregnant outside wedlock and brought shame
on her family. A stone plaque in a peaceful spot is a memorial to maquisards who were shot by the Germans
during World War II.
However, it’s not just France’s history that makes it such a happy
hunting ground for authors. The colour and vibrancy of produce in a market, the
taste, texture and scent of bread and patisserie,
the fragrant steam rising from a bowl of moules
marinières – all these have worked on my writing grey cells as well as my
taste buds.
French art and architecture also offer rich seams of inspiration. For
example, the Mona Lisa was evacuated from the Louvre to an abbey near us during
World War II. That’s a story just begging to be written: it’s on my to-do list. Artists such as Degas and Toulouse Lautrec provide
a tantalising glimpse into the Parisian demi-monde,
while the soaring cathedrals and opulent châteaux
are fitting settings for stories.
It’s no surprise that authors such as Joanne Harris, Peter May, Kate Mosse
and Martin Walker, to name just a few, have chosen to set their stories in
France.
After eight years of writing fiction, I realised that I had used France
as the backdrop for many of my short stories. So I have collected a dozen of
them into a book. About two-thirds are historical, but they are all inspired by
the essence of France.
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| Vanessa Couchman |
Vanessa Couchman is a British novelist and short story writer who has
lived in southwest France since 1997. She has written two novels, The House at Zaronza (read my review here) and The Corsican Widow, and is working on a
third. Her short stories have been placed in competitions and published in
anthologies. French Collection, her
collection of short stories set in France, is published today, 9th November.
French
Collection: Twelve Short Stories is available in paperback and
e-book formats from Amazon.
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