Lady19thc

Lady19thc asked Priya Parmar:

I am reading Vanessa and Her Sister right now and loving it! Being more of a 19th century literature fan you have whetted my appetite for VW! Very well written and am curious...was Virginia really that unstable and emotional/hard to control? Do you recommend any bios on the Bloomsbury Group?

Priya Parmar I am so pleased you are enjoying it! Yes, Virginia was quite tricky and if anything I underplayed her difficult behaviour. Many of the smallest details (such as Virginia sulking and only speaking Spanish or shouting 'the Goat's mad) are also rooted in fact.

There are so many wonderful biographies of the group. Some authors to look for are Quentin Bell, Frances Spalding, Hermione Lee, Sarah Hall, Vanessa Curtis, Michael Holyrod, and Jane Dunn. Sorry, that is a massive list...

More Answered Questions

Becca

Becca asked Priya Parmar:

I’m reading Vanessa And Her Sister right now, and I love Vanessa’s “voice” in her diary entries. I’ve read all of Virginia’s diaries and letters, but I’m wondering if Vanessa’s have been published too. What sources did you read to help you capture/create her voice in the novel?

Arla

Arla asked Priya Parmar:

What a wonderful book. I had a hard time putting it down. Also, was glad to keep my phone next to me so that I could look up images of these extraordinary people. What a distance we have come in the treatment of bi-polar disorder. I found that I was intrigued by the speculation into the 'teeth' component! Interesting. Any sequel? Vanessa continued to have an amazing life.

Lisa of Hopewell

Lisa of Hopewell asked Priya Parmar:

I, too, am loving Vanessa. I liked the comment about her voice being so "modern." There really is nothing new under the sun--her she is vibrant, talented, in love with her husband and sharing "our" conflicts of how to give our child, our spouse, ourself "enough." Would you consider editing a collection of her letters from those archives you mention?

All answers from Priya Parmar…

273 followers

About Goodreads Q&A

Ask and answer questions about books!

You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.

See Featured Authors Answering Questions