December 2014 Book of the Month In brilliantly created strip-cartoon versions, Marcia Williams has breathed new life into everything from Greek myths to Oliver Twist. Now she brings the huge canvas of Victor Hugo’s epic nineteenth century story about good and evil, truth and falsehood, social upheaval and grinding poverty and, above all – love - richly to life through her action packed illustrations which also capture the atmosphere of the time. While Inspector Javert, ex-criminal Jean Valjean and orphaned Cosette work out their love complications the Revolution of 1815 threatens to overturn all of their lives forever.
Marcia Williams retells one of the greatest novels of all time in her trademark accessible, highly illustrated style. A wonderful introduction to Victor Hugo's epic tale of injustice, love and heroism in 19th century France.
The story follows Jean Valjean, an ex-convict, as he tries to put his criminal past behind him. Will he manage to escape from the ruthless Police Inspector Javert, who is determined to see him behind bars again? Can he build a life with Cosette, an orphaned girl he has rescued from poverty and neglect? When Cosette grows up and falls in love with the handsome Marius Pontmercy, will Jean Valjean let Cosette go? Or will the revolution that is sweeping through the streets of Paris tear all their lives apart?
2015 marks 200 years since 1815, the year the novel began - and 2015 is also the 30th anniversary of the stage musical. Les Miserables is the world's longest running musical and has been seen by 65 million people in over 42 countries.
Marcia Williams' mother was a writer and her father was a playwright and theatre director. She spent the early part of her life in Canton, Hong Kong, Nigeria and the Middle East with her mother and diplomat stepfather. She loved books from an early age and remembers being read to almost every night; "I would often be scared, especially by fairy tales, but I never wanted the stories to end." She went to boarding school in Sussex, from where she sent weekly illustrated letters to her parents overseas.
Marcia didn't receive any formal art training. She calls herself "an obsessive illustrator. I've just always done it. I never consciously thought: that's what I want to do." She had a number of jobs, including nursery teacher, which is when she developed her taste for story-telling to young children; "I learnt what they found accessible and what they enjoyed." Giving up teaching to paint, she studied watercolour at Richmond College and held some successful local exhibitions before a friend suggested that she took her work to show Walker Books.
Marcia lives in London and has two grown-up children and three grandchildren, one extra-large dog and a cat.
