Julie Keys on The Artist's Portrait

Meet the feisty artistic genius Muriel Kemp: one of the most memorable characters in recent Australian fiction. The Artist's Portrait by Julie Keys is about art, sacrifice, and making your place in history. It features mysterious deaths and fateful decisions. It's a beguiling genre-bending page-turner. It announces an exciting new voice in Australian fiction. Julie is in conversation with author Pip Smith.

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About the Book

Whatever it was that drew me to Muriel, it wasn't her charm.

In 1992, morning sickness drives Jane to pre-dawn walks of her neighbourhood where she meets an unfriendly woman who sprays her with a hose as she passes by. When they do talk: Muriel Kemp eyes my pregnant belly and tells me if I really want to succeed, I'd get rid of the baby.

Driven to find out more about her curmudgeonly neighbour, Jane Cooper begins to investigate the life of Muriel, who claims to be a famous artist from Sydney's bohemian 1920s. Contemporary critics argue that legend, rather than ability, has secured her position in history. They also claim that the real Muriel Kemp died in 1936.

Murderer, narcissist, sexual deviant or artistic genius and a woman before her time: Who really is Muriel Kemp?

Praise

"A compelling new voice in Australian fiction. A story that deserves to be told. I couldn't put it down." - Nikki Gemmell, award-winning and bestselling author.

"... this novel is intriguing, evocative and had me catching my breath" - Joanna Nell, author of The Single Ladies of the Jacaranda Retirement Village.

"... a beguiling, genre-bending page-turner. You'll love the fiesty Muriel Kemp: one of the most memorable characters is recent Australian fiction. A wonderful surprise." – John, Better Read Than Dead.

About the Author

Julie Keys lives in the Illawarra region on the NSW south coast. Her short stories have been published across a range of Australian journals. She has worked as a tutor, a registered nurse, a youth worker and as a clinical trials coordinator. She is now studying a PhD in creative arts at the University of Wollongong and writing full-time. The Artist's Portrait was shortlisted for The Richell Prize for Emerging Writers in 2017.