ELIZABETH WILHIDE, a Hackney author who has written many books on interior design and decoration, has learnt that her first novel is to be published in the United States.

Ashenden will be published by the New York firm Simon and Schuster in January. A Spanish publisher has also bought the rights to Wilhide’s Downton Abbey-type saga.

Her novel is about people, living history and architecture. The last is an unsurprising choice of topic, given that she has collaborated with authors such as David Linley, Terence Conran and others on design books.

Wilhide has lived in  Dalston for 30 years and is working on her next novel. English historian Amanda Foreman described Ashenden as “an engrossing debut… full of fascinating detail, high drama and sly wit”. Woman’s Own said it was “compelling”.

* David Altheer 281112

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