Douglas Bruton’s Innovative Love Story: Woman in Blue

We are happy to announce that we will be publishing a third ekphrastic work by Douglas Bruton in 2025 entitled Woman in Blue after Johannes Vermeer’s painting Woman in Blue Reading a Letter.

Fairlight Books obtains an innovative love story by award-listed Scottish author Douglas Bruton inspired by the artist Johannes Vermeer Fairlight Books has acquired Walter Scott prize-longlisted author Douglas Bruton’s latest novel for publication in early 2025. Woman in Blue is a literary novel set in Amsterdam, inspired by Vermeer’s well-known painting Woman in Blue Reading a Letter. This dual narrative story explores the delicate balance between truth and fiction to create a story about love in all its forms. Woman in Blue is the third novel in a series of titles by Bruton that focus on an interplay between art and fiction, finding the intersection between the viewer and the viewed, and between the reader and the author. The first two novels in the series are Blue Postcards (2021) and With or Without Angels (2023).

Woman in Blue immerses its readers into the private moments often depicted within Vermeer’s work. The unnamed narrator plunges himself into the story behind the strokes of Vermeer’s brush in the hope that, as he grows distant from his wife and life at home, the Woman in Blue will offer him the answers he has been searching for. In return, the Woman in Blue shares her own story: a tale of unconventional love, creation and immortalisation through art. Douglas Bruton is the author of five previous novels: The Chess Piece Magician (2009), Mrs Winchester’s Gun Club (2019), Blue Postcards (2021), With or Without Angels (2022) and Hope Knew No Horizon (2024). Blue Postcards was longlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2021. He lives in the Scottish Borders.

Bruton stated: ‘When I saw Vermeer’s Woman in Blue Reading a Letter I felt a sense of wonder, even enchantment, and knew I wanted to share that with readers and maybe enchant them too. The Woman in Blue’s voice is vibrant and fresh and a perfect tool through which to explore the painting and its power. I am thrilled to be working with Fairlight Books again to bring this story to publication.’

Editor Sarah Shaw said: ‘Douglas’s writing struck me from the first page as he masterfully explores the intersections between art, artist and viewer, with profound conclusions about love and creation. It was a joy to work on this novel and we’re very excited to share more of Douglas’s beautiful writing with his readers.’