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"Songs of Triumphant Love is an enthralling novel: I couldn't stop reading. I got deeper and deeper into the very real world Jessica Duchen has created and just had to find out how it would unravel. Jessica writes with an unpredictable and original voice and a dazzling perceptiveness, and I was hooked from the first page. A sensational achievement."
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JOANNA LUMLEY |
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12 Disc Audio Book
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AUDIO BOOK OF 'SONGS OF TRIUMPHANT LOVE' OUT NOW
Isis Publishing has just released Songs of Triumphant Love as an audio book, read by actress Julia Franklin. It’s a tour-de-force on Julia’s part, with all those different accents, and she navigates her way around Glaswegian, Estuary, Bosnian, French and Russian – amongst others – with great panache. I’m most grateful to all concerned!
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The CD version is on 12 discs at £30.99 and the cassettes are £20.99, available direct from Isis at this secure link: |
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Julia Franklin |
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NEW COLUMN FOR STANDPOINT
I’m delighted to announce a new association with STANDPOINT, the monthly magazine devoted to politics and culture that launched in May 2008. Edited by Daniel Johnson, STANDPOINT is an upmarket, in-depth journal and its writers take a wide range of stances on the issues of the day. I will be writing a music column starting from the July 2009 issue and my first topic is the marvel of Haydn. Look out for STANDPOINT’s new website, too. LINK to Standpoint. |
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TALKS
I love giving pre-concert talks and speaking to book groups, literary societies and libraries.
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Click on Book Cover
to ORDER this book
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SONGS OF TRIUMPHANT LOVE |
Hardback and Paperback (Hodder & Stoughton, 09 July 2009) |
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My fourth novel, Songs of Triumphant Love, was published by Hodder & Stoughton on 9 July 2009.
The story of a singer, her daughter, their respective lovers and the after-effects of war upon all of them, its themes are healing, the power of music and the boundaries of love. It was inspired partly by a words&music project I tackled a few years ago about Pauline Viardot and also by my visit to Mostar in 2007, and is consequently set in London, Paris and Bosnia... JD |
| Read reviews of Songs of Triumphant Love here |
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SONGS OF TRIUMPHANT LOVE - OUT NOW!
My new novel SONGS OF TRIUMPHANT LOVE hit the shelves on 9 July 2009, but that didn’t stop us having a little party to launch it three days earlier. Here’s the video of my thank-you speech, which also introduces much of what the book is all about.
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Jad Sylla has provided some photographs from the Book Launch which you can see here in a small slide show. |
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KICK-START YOUR WRITING courses |
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“KICK-START YOUR WRITING!”
My Kick-Start workshops are really taking off! The concept offers one day of total immersion for anyone who would like to begin to write creatively or to deepen their existing experience. Exercises offer a variety of different ways into writing, so that you can discover what works for you, plus joining the discussions on everything from the best writing stimuli to how to shape a plot and build your characters. The private, small group setting offers a ‘safe’ environment to experiment and contribute to the class. Lunch is included. £65 per person. Booking in advance is ESSENTIAL due to the limited number of places.
NEXT WORKSHOP: Sunday, 31st January 2010
Download/print/read a PDF with workshop information.
Please email: kickstartworkshops@googlemail.com for more information |
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My latest short story, THE LAST ARABESQUE, was published in 'My Weekly' on 3 October 2009.
Read it here |
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HUNGARIAN DANCES GOES DUTCH
My Dutch publishers De Kern have now launched their edition of Hungarian Dances. I was their guest at Amsterdam's Manuscripta Book Festival on 6 September 2009 and I'm thrilled with the classy presentation they have given the novel! Lots of press interest, a public interview on the festival's international stage and a presentation with Philippe Graffin at the CD distributor Codaex's season launch, as well as some wonderful dinners, added up to a wonderful whirl of a visit
Here is a review from the Dutch news site NU.NL:
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Panufnik/Duchen Composition Reaches Prestigious Award Shortlist
Roxanna Panufnik's choral setting of the Padre Pio prayer 'Stay With Me' has been shortlisted for the British Composer Awards in the Liturgical category. I adapted the words for musical purposes from the extended and very beautiful original. The piece was a commission from the Genesis Foundation and was premiered in Westminster Cathedral by The Sixteen conducted by Harry Christophers last year. The winners will be announced in a ceremony on December 1st. More details here: http://www.britishcomposerawards.com/. |
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NIGEL KENNEDY INTERVIEW
I had a wild time interviewing Nigel Kennedy in Berlin, where he gave a free open-air performance at the Brandenburg Gate to mark the end of the World Athletics Championships...
Read the interview in The Independent here. |
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| Jessica and Tibor Fischer |
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13 May 2009, European Literature Night,
The British Library, 6.30pm
The British Library hosted a special evening devoted to literature from across the EU, in association with the European Union National Institutes for Culture London and the European Commission Representation in the UK, marking the Czech presidency of the EU. I was delighted to have been asked by the Hungarian Cultural Centre to present and interview the Hungarian-British author Tibor Fischer at this event. Dazzling, original and often very funny, his latest novel is Good to be God (Alma Books).
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| Jessica and Philippe Graffin |
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17 June 2008
HUNGARIAN DANCES: THE CONCERT OF THE NOVEL
Huge thanks to everyone who helped to make the Hungarian Dances Concert of the Novel such a success!
Held at 49 Queen’s Gate Terrace on 17 June 2008, the performance was designed to raise finance for Philippe Graffin’s planned CD of a violin recital programme inspired by the book. With Jessica reading the appropriate extracts from the novel between the pieces, the recital featured Philippe with pianist Claire Désert in music ranging from Dohnányi’s Andante Rubato alla Zingaresca to Beethoven’s ‘Spring’ Sonata and Bartók’s Romanian Dances; Tom Eisner, second violin, joined Philippe for the selection of Bartók violin duos that rounded off the first half.
With a beautiful evening, a fantastic turnout, excellent Hungarian-style canapés and a team from omusic TV in attendance to record the event, it was a night to remember. |
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| Philippe Graffin, Claire Désert and Jessica |
Philippe Graffin and Tom Eisner |
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| ... and here is the PDF flyer for the concert for you again. |
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Click on CD cover
TO ORDER THE CD
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Available now on Onyx Classics
Violinist Philippe Graffin and pianist Claire Désert have recorded a CD inspired by my book Hungarian Dances. To the best of my knowledge, it’s the first time that an international soloist has elected to base an original recording on a contemporary novel. While some of the music (Brahms, Bartók et al) appears in the story, Philippe has included many rare musical gems that give the disc an independent life. Exciting, daring and highly individual, the recital evokes just the atmosphere I wanted to capture in the book. My profound thanks to Onyx, Philippe and all the musicians involved!
.......................................................................................................................... JD
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Click on logo
Link to the website
for Hungarian Dances
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| Hungarian Dances |
| Paperback (Hodder & Stoughton, 24 July 2008) |
Hungarian Dances is a love story, a mystery and a tale of extraordinary personal transformation.
When disaster befalls her best friend, Karina, a young Anglo-Hungarian musician, feels compelled to question the very foundations of her existence. Her discoveries about her Hungarian family background and her Gypsy ancestry will change her life forever. Past and present collide in the intertwining stories of Karina and her grandmother, Mimi, a famous violinist. Love and loss, displacement and continuity mingle in a moving panorama that crosses eighty years and is permeated by the family’s one constant: the sound of the violin.
A CD to complement Hungarian Dances is being released by ONYX soon.
Release date: October 29th 2008.
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"A great love story and mystery set in – among other things – the world of Hungarian gypsies and passionate musicians. Duchen has a rare talent which is increasingly being recognised." - Gavin Esler, The Glasgow Herald
After having read Rites of Spring, I am now equally thrilled by Hungarian Dances. Jessica Duchen is a very gifted storyteller; her characters are sensitively portrayed. She has observed "Hungarianness" very well indeed. And her understanding of the tragedy and sufferings of the Gypsy people - that is not just history, but very much a problem of our time - gives this book an even more profound meaning.- András Schiff
"The pages of Hungarian Dances just kept turning! Like all the best novels, it asks unexpected and compelling questions. It's a book for anyone with an interest in how history leaves its mark on people and how they in turn come to live with its scars." - Martin Davies, author, The Conjuror's Bird
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| Read the REVIEWS page. |
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| RITES
OF SPRING |
Jessica
Duchen’s first novel, Rites of Spring, was
published by Hodder & Stoughton on March 13 2006.
The Paperback Edition was released on July 27 2006. |
| Order
now via Amazon.co.uk, or
direct from H&S. |
Order
from these links:
for Hardcover (click Logos) |
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Order
from this link:
Paperback (click Logos) |
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VIEW an enlarged version of the Paperback Cover |
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| ALICIA'S GIFT |
Jessica Duchen’s second novel was published by Hodder & Stoughton on 8 March 2007. A contemporary drama set in the Peak District concerning the problems of raising a gifted child, ALICIA’S GIFT draws on Jessica’s considerable experience in the music industry and as a pianist herself. A Dutch edition will also be published in due course by De Kern.
Read the first 3 pages (PDF file 727kb) (Set to 100%) ..... here
... a first review of the book:
"The devil in this book is in the detail, the accumulation of every detail that disables middle class life when the unexpected lands, in this case a musically gifted child. You turn the pages with a tremble, in case you crush the fragile family. Unbearably real."
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown |
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| WONDERKIND (Alicia's Gift) |
Jessica Duchen’s second novel 'Alicia's Gift' was published on October 9th in a Dutch edition .... and it looks wonderful.
Click here for details
ISBN: 9789032501778
€ 18,95
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| 06/02/06
- Read Jessica's interview on authortrek.com - ONLINE NOW - |
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| Photo Galleries |
London
November 22 2007 |
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Here
are some photos from the Royal Festival Hall after the UK premiere of Korngold's greatest opera, 'Das Wunder der Heliane', on 21 November 2007
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St.Nazaire
September 2007 |
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Here
are photos from Jessica's visit to St.Nazaire in September 2007 |
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Mostar
June 2007 |
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Here
are photos from Jessica's visit to MOSTAR in June 2007 |
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"Consonances" Festival
St. Nazaire
September 2006 |
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Here
are photos from Festival "Consonances" at St. Nazaire in September 2006 where Jessica's 'LE CHANT DE L'AMOUR TRIOMPHANT' was premiered. |
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Trip to
Budapest
September 2006 |
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Jessica's Trip to Budapest can be viewed here as a
Photo Page. |
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Booksigning,
Waterstones
Richmond
August 2006
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Jessica signing the recently published Paperback edition of her novel 'Rites of Spring'. View an enlarged photo here. |
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Lauch Party 'Rites of Spring'
March 2006
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Here
are photos from the launch party for Jessica's 'Rites
of Spring' at Kew on Wednesday March 2nd 2006 |
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