Listen to a sample
Venus, Vanishing
- Author
- Rebecca Birrell
- Narrator
- Lydia Wilson
- Publisher
- Pan Macmillan
- Publish Date
- 16 July 2026
- Run Time
- 10 hours 1 minute
- Format
- Audiobook
Not available in your country
We don't have the rights to sell this audiobook where you are. If it's already in your library you can still listen to it in My Books.
What to expect
Blisteringly passionate, Venus, Vanishing by Rebecca Birrell is a page-turning debut novel of desire, art and the stories lost to the darkness of history.
‘Gripping, gorgeously written . . . I couldn't put it down’ – Joanna Quinn, author of The Whalebone Theatre
‘This vivid novel of 1930s Berlin asks what it means to make art in an emergency’ – Eleanor Catton, author of Birnam Wood
Berlin, 1928. Hannah is new to the pleasures and freedoms of the city. She is a fledgling artist, a runaway, building a new life for herself in its galleries and clubs, and, at last, loving without boundaries.
But soon the party will be coming to an end. A consuming affair with her patron, Elke – the imperious wife of a powerful man – is reckless, yet life-changing, and it threatens to do more than ruin both of their reputations. Around them, people are disappearing. The shadows of something unspeakable are growing darker in the city. Hannah’s art could be the thing that secures her survival – or denies her any chance of escape.
‘A radiant vision of art against evil . . . a bold, moving novel’ – Megan Hunter, author of Days of Light
‘Wonderful. Alive with a deep, resonant tenderness’ – Elizabeth O’Connor, author of Whale Fall
‘Extraordinary. I didn’t want it to end’ – Doireann Ní Ghríofa, author of A Ghost in the Throat
Critics Review
-
A gripping, gorgeously written debut that I couldn't put down
Joanna Quinn, author of The Whalebone Theatre
-
This vivid novel of 1930s Berlin asks what it means to make art in an emergency. A skilful and loving restoration of Jewish art and women’s lives
Eleanor Catton, Booker Prize winning author of Birnam Wood
-
A story of queer desire and artistic coming of age . . . devastating . . . Here are fleshy encounters, full of stockings draped on the floor, sketchbooks, swims in a lake and postcards scribbled with cryptic notes of love
Literary Review
-
A rare and precious combination of emotional warmth and cleverness
Sarah Moss, author of Ripeness
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
This book offers us a radiant vision of art against evil, of the endurance of love, ambition and vitality amidst the worst of atrocities and betrayal. A bold, moving novel
Megan Hunter, author of Days of Light
-
Venus, Vanishing floored me. It is utterly captivating, from first to last
Lauren Elkin, author or Scaffolding
-
Wonderful. Sharp and deft, yet alive with a deep, resonant tenderness. I absolutely LOVED Venus, Vanishing
Elizabeth O'Connor, author of Whale Fall
-
Extraordinary. Venus, Vanishing moved me deeply; I didn't want it to end. The rare sort of book that brings the past back to trembling life
Doireann Ní Ghríofa, author of Said the Dead and A Ghost in the Throat
-
A page-turner that crackles with menace and humanity . . . A deeply satisfying novel
Bea Setton, author of Berlin
-
A deeply felt debut
Chloe Ashby, The Art Newspaper
-
There's a sombre gorgeousness to Birrell's smart, sensuous debut . . . Vital, luminous
Daily Mail
-
Gripping . . . an engrossing, vital tale of love, friendship and betrayal which is bursting with humanity
Irish News
-
Deeply sensual
Cold Magazine
-
Utterly intoxicating . . . Not a 'knowing' novel that gazes back into history with heavy-handed hindsight but one that looks forward — while we try not to breathe out as we know what's coming for the world
ABC
-
Birrell makes astute observations on the nature of art, desire and womanhood, while keeping hold of a sweeping, epic narrative
Prospect Magazine
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Rebecca Birrell
- Narrator
- Lydia Wilson
- Duration
- 10 hours 1 minute
- Release Date
- 16 July 2026
- ISBN
- 9781035085804
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Pan Macmillan
- Genre
- Historical fiction, Historical romance, Narrative theme: displacement, exile, migration, Narrative theme: love / relationships, Narrative theme: death, grief, loss, Narrative theme: identity / belonging, The Holocaust
Synopsis
Blisteringly passionate, Venus, Vanishing by Rebecca Birrell is a page-turning debut novel of desire, art and the stories lost to the darkness of history.‘Gripping, gorgeously written . . . I couldn't put it down’ – Joanna Quinn, author of The Whalebone Theatre‘This vivid novel of 1930s Berlin asks what it means to make art in an emergency’ – Eleanor Catton, author of Birnam WoodBerlin, 1928. Hannah is new to the pleasures and freedoms of the city. She is a fledgling artist, a runaway, building a new life for herself in its galleries and clubs, and, at last, loving without boundaries.But soon the party will be coming to an end. A consuming affair with her patron, Elke – the imperious wife of a powerful man – is reckless, yet life-changing, and it threatens to do more than ruin both of their reputations. Around them, people are disappearing. The shadows of something unspeakable are growing darker in the city. Hannah’s art could be the thing that secures her survival – or denies her any chance of escape.‘A radiant vision of art against evil . . . a bold, moving novel’ – Megan Hunter, author of Days of Light‘Wonderful. Alive with a deep, resonant tenderness’ – Elizabeth O’Connor, author of Whale Fall‘Extraordinary. I didn’t want it to end’ – Doireann Ní Ghríofa, author of A Ghost in the Throat
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.