His Last Duchess

The Courtesan's Lover

Novelist Gabrielle Kimm lives in West Sussex. She is the author of two books - 'His Last Duchess' (Sphere 2010) and 'The Courtesan' s Lover' (Sphere 2011).

'His Last Duchess', set in Renaissance Italy, was originally inspired by a Robert Browning poem. It tells the story of the ill-fated marraige of the fifth duke of Ferrara and Lucrezia de' Medici. Published in the summer of 2010, 'His Last Duchess' was one of 20 books longlisted for the RNA Novel of the year. 'The Courtesan's Lover' takes a secondary character from 'His Last Duchess' - the duke's mistress, Francesca - and places her centre-stage in her own story, three years after the end of the previous novel. The opening chapter of 'The Courtesan's Lover' was shortlisted for the Impress Prize for Fiction in 2007.

Gabrielle is a member of the Chichester Book Club, a website dedicated to reading groups and book clubs in her local area, where she and her fellow authors regularly run creative writing talks, readings and workshops across the South East.

Gabrielle is a qualified English and Drama teacher.

View my website http://www.gabriellekimm.co.uk/