You all know how I feel about scent.
Well, a couple of weeks ago I went to see perfumer Sarah McCartney of 4160 Tuesdays to help create a bespoke scent to illustrate the new book. I had a wonderful time in Sarah’s lab, trying different scents and raw materials, talking about the background to the book; the location (Marseille in late summer and autumn) and the pictures I wanted the scent to paint. The result is called VIANNE’S CONFESSION: part chocolaterie, part confessional, with all the darkness and light of the Old Quarter of Marseille, with its steep little cobbled streets, its planters of geraniums, and the basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde, sheltering the city.
I’ll use the scent to spritz books, scent bookmarks and hopefully, explore in readings. You’ll be able to try it too: it’s launching on May 22nd, the same day as the book. And here’s a secret discount code – Vianne – to get £25 off an advance order for the first batch!
Here’s Sarah in her lab, talking you through the process of building a scent from scratch…
And here’s a link to pre-order a signed copy of the book from a series of indie bookshops…
