Still Life

Still Life is a novel that explores the story of an author who struggles to write a biography of Scottish poet and abolitionist Thomas Pringle. The author summons the spectre of Mary Prince, the West Indian slave whose History Pringle published, and Hinza, his adopted black South African son, to help her resurrect Pringle. Sir Nicholas Greene, a self-regarding poet from Virginia Woolf's novel Orlando, also enters the chorus. Their adventures through time and space, from Victorian South Africa and London to the author's desk in Glasgow in the present day, offer a poignant yet often playful exploration of colonial history and racial oppression.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 26 May 2022
Publisher: Peninsula Press Ltd

Still Life, a captivating novel, delves into the intricate interplay between our perception of time and reality. It follows the journey of an author who embarks on the task of writing a biography of Scottish poet and abolitionist Thomas Pringle. Driven by her determination to bring Pringle back to life, the writer summons the spirit of Mary Prince, a West Indian slave whose history Pringle published. Alongside Hinza, his adopted black South African son, these voices vie for dominance, blurring the lines between life writing and fiction. However, the narrative takes a surprising turn when Sir Nicholas Greene, a self-regarding poet from Virginia Woolf's novel Orlando, enters the fray. Together, they embark on a captivating adventure traversing time and space, from Victorian South Africa to the author's desk in Glasgow in the present day. Through their experiences, Still Life offers a poignant yet often playful exploration of colonial history and racial oppression, shedding light on the complexities of identity and the enduring impact of historical events.

Weight: 298g
Dimension: 129 x 198 x 29 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781913512101