Scene City

An infectious, irreverent novel set amidst the cold glitz of the commercial art world. This debut, from a startling new talent, explores hedonism and heritage alike.

Romy, an art history student, glibly accepts a writing gig that tips her headlong into hollow glamour and strange air of London's art world. As she begins to document the scene, in all its decadence and debauchery, her sense of self is lost to the buzz. Soon, Romy, and her merry band of gays, find themselves in (of all things) the maelstrom of an unfolding novel. Tapping into Lawrence Sterne as much as it does Eve Babitz and Truman Capote, this infectious, irreverent debut explores authorship and identity, and whether the pursuit of meaning can (or should) get in the way of a good time.Dr. Róisín Tapponi is a writer and film programmer. She is the Founder of Shasha Movies, a streaming platform for artist film and video from South-West Asia and North Africa (SWANA) She was awarded Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe for Entertainment in 2023. Tapponi graduated with a PhD in History of Art from University of St. Andrews. Her art writing has been published most recently in books by Phaidon, Gagosian, and Sadie Coles HQ. Scene City is Tapponi's debut novel. She is based in London, UK.