Allegro Pastell

Allegro Pastell is an absorbing meditation on the nature of love in the twenty-first century, life after thirty, the danger of slipping into old patterns of behaviour, and what it means to be true to yourself.

The novel revolves around the long-distance relationship between cult author Tanja Arnheim, who is working on the follow-up to her successful debut in Berlin, and sought-after web designer Jerome Daimler. While Tanja and Jerome’s romance is at the heart of the narrative, the novel also focuses on the nature of human relationships in general, especially within and beyond the constraints of traditional societal norms. Questions of national identity, environmental responsibility, intergenerational change, familial ties and the suitability of our political and economic system in a century set to be defined by climate breakdown are all woven into the storyline.

Allegro Pastell is split into three parts: Phase One, Phase Two and Phase New. The three phases make up a calendar year and a complete cycle through the seasons, reflecting a corresponding evolution in Jerome’s sense of identity and his attitude towards relationships. The novel plays out against a backdrop of intense heat and weather, which seems strange and out of place, a reference to the surreal omnipresence of our changing climate.

This project has been funded with support from the Creative Europe Programme of the European Commission.