Inside the Bauhaus

AUTHOR Naomi Wood shared why the intriguing women of the Bauhaus art school inspired her to write her latest novel, the feature of the latest Hungerford Bookshop online event and book group which have helped keep local readers connected over the past year.

Wood was the guest at the latest event on Wednesday evening, where participants discussed her third novel, The Hiding Game, set at the Bauhaus in the early 1920s.

Borne of the trauma of the First World War, the Bauhaus was founded with the intention of setting a new standard in teaching art and to explore new ways of stoking creativity.

The talk explained the history of the Bauhaus and its different incarnations in Weimar, Dessau and Berlin, focusing on some real-life women at the Bauhaus art school: Gunta Stoltz, Otti Berger and Marianne Brandt. Ms Wood also discussed some of its interesting teaching methods designed to inspire creativity; a couple of these are explored in the novel and provide an important turning point in the story.

However, the novel was aimed at readers who might not be familiar with the Bauhaus and explores what life was really like inside and outside the classroom.

The Hiding Game is told through the eyes of the main character Paul about six friends who meet at the school and their work, their love lives and the political tensions playing out in the background.

Ms Wood said: “I didn’t know a huge amount about the Bauhaus, but saw an exhibition at the Barbican and saw all these brilliant photos where it looked as though they were having the most

Hungerford Bookshop online author’s talk: Naomi Wood, on March 10 tremendous amount of fun. I read lots of secondary material which were quite dry and none of these history books bring this time alive – relationships, fun and parties and excitement, exuberance and realised it would be a good idea for a novel.” Parallels with the present day and pre pandemic are inevitable, but Wood added: “It was such a fragile, beautiful time because with the benefit of hindsight, you can see they did so much, but you know this tornado of destruction is coming. It’s very poignant, and very moving to see the golden beauty of the period.”

The talk finished on a high as Ms

Wood added: “When the pandemic is behind us, it will be like the jazz age again and there will be parties everywhere.”

Hungerford Bookshop’s next events, which remain online, are on March 30 with writer Claire Fuller speaking on her novel Unsettled Ground. This is followed by Jeffrey Archer talking about Turn A Blind Eye on April 1. Tickets for all events must be booked in advance via www.hungerfordbookshop.co.uk MARGARET MCDONNELL

... they did so much, but you know this tornado of destruction is coming