Nuala O'Connor in conversation with dlr Writer in Residence Sarah Maria Griffin

Becoming Belle is a witty, feminist novel set in Victorian London, based on the true story of a woman ahead of her time. In 1887, Isabel Bilton is the eldest of three daughters of a middle-class military family, growing up in a small garrison town. By 1891 she is the Countess of Clancarty, dubbed “the peasant countess” by the press, and a member of the Irish aristocracy. Nuala O’Connor’s brilliant new novel is the story of the four years in between, of Belle’s rapid ascent and the people that tried to tear her down. The novel serves as a reminder of the author’s uncanny knack for transmuting the lives of historical characters into urgently compelling fiction.

Recorded at dlr Lexicon Studio Theatre, Dún Laoghaire on Tues 23 October, 2018.

Listen back on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/dlr-soundcloud/nuala-o-connor-library-voices-2018