Synopsis
Blisteringly passionate, Venus, Vanishing by Rebecca Birrell is a page-turning debut novel of desire, art, and the stories lost to the darkness of history.
'Gripping, gorgeously written . . . I couldn't put it down' - Joanna Quinn, author of The Whalebone Theatre
'This vivid novel of 1930s Berlin asks what it means to make art in an emergency' - Eleanor Catton, author of Birnam Wood
Berlin, 1928. Hannah is new to the pleasures and freedoms of the city. She is a fledgling artist, a runaway, building a new life for herself in its galleries and clubs, and, at last, loving without boundaries.
But soon the party will be coming to an end. A consuming affair with her patron, Elke – the imperious wife of a powerful man – is reckless, yet life-changing, and it threatens to do more than ruin both of their reputations. Around them, people are disappearing. The shadows of something unspeakable are growing darker in the city. Hannah’s art could be the thing that secures her survival – or denies her any chance of escape.
'A radiant vision of art against evil . . . a bold, moving novel' - Megan Hunter, author of Days of Light
'Wonderful. Alive with a deep, resonant tenderness' - Elizabeth O'Connor, author of Whale Fall
'Extraordinary. I didn't want it to end' - Doireann Ní Ghríofa, author of A Ghost in the Throat
Details
16 July 2026
9781035085804Reviews
A gripping, gorgeously written debut that I couldn't put down
This vivid novel of 1930s Berlin asks what it means to make art in an emergency. A skilful and loving restoration of Jewish art and women’s lives
A rare and precious combination of emotional warmth and cleverness
This book offers us a radiant vision of art against evil, of the endurance of love, ambition and vitality amidst the worst of atrocities and betrayal. A bold, moving novel
