High Time: High stakes and high jinx in the world of art and finance

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Astonishing Viewing. A jaw droppingly candid view- that takes no prisoners- of a tumultuous period in British politics.' Sharon Lougher, Metro Inspired by the Storyville programme, Rothchild wrote a biography of her great aunt, The Baroness: The Search for Nica the Rebellious Rothschild, which was published by Virago in 2012. It was described as "Riveting, touching and insightful" by The Daily Telegraph. A few years earlier, a radio documentary profile of Nica, The Jazz Baroness, was broadcast by BBC Radio 4 on 12 February 2008. [3] [4] Her documentaries and shorts have aired on the BBC, HBO, PBS and others and been screened and won awards at Telluride, Tribecca, London, Sheffield film festivals. She has written screenplays for Working Title and Ridley Scott. [ citation needed] She also wrote a history of Channel 4's films and filmmakers; contributed to anthologies including Corfu, the Garden Isle ISBN 0-7195-5375-X; and Virago at 40. Tomlinson Sleet is an appalling ‘vulgarian,’ motivated by narcissism, greed, and a need for attention—A combination of Scrooge, the Grinch, and a certain politician who will not be named. Sleet has married three wives, possessions who soon lost their luster after he obtained them. In 2020 I read Hannah Rothschild’s delightful modern comedy of manners, ‘House of Trelawney’ and was pleased to discover that she had recently published a sequel, ‘High Time’.

Her feature length BBC/HBO documentaries have appeared at such festivals as Telluride and Tribeca. She's written for Vanity Fair, Vogue, The Independent, Elle, Bazaar, T and C, The Times, The Telegraph, the NYT and others. She's a vice president of the Hay Literary Festival, a former trustee of the Tate Gallery, and was the first woman chair of the National Gallery in London. In 2018 she was made a Commander of The British Empire for services to literature and philanthropy.

PORTRAITURE

Annie McDee, thirty-one and recovering from the end of a long-term relationship who is working as a chef and searching for a birthday present for her unsuitable new lover in a neglected London second-hand shop. Hidden behind a rubber plant on top of a file cabinet, a grimy painting catches her eye. Leaving the store with the picture after spending her meager savings, Annie prepares an elaborate birthday dinner for two, only to be stood up. Arriving in New York, Nica was shunned by society but accepted by the musicians. They gave her friendship; she gave them material and emotional support. Her convertible Bentley was a familiar sight outside the clubs and she drank whisky from a hip flask disguised as a Bible.

Hannah Rothschild contains multitudes. In addition to formerly serving as chairwoman of London’s National Gallery, she’s also an active philanthropist, documentary filmmaker, writer, and Commander of the British Empire. Her first book, 2012’s The Baroness—later adapted by Rothschild into a television film called The Jazz Baroness—explored the life of her fascinating great-aunt Pannonica, who left behind a title and family to move to New York and become a lover, patroness, and muse to the jazz musician Thelonious Monk. Since then, Rothschild has focused her gimlet-eyed observations on sending up the British aristocracy: Whether in her lacerating and award-winning satire of the art world, 2015’s The Improbability of Love, or her more recent comedy of manners House of Trelawney (2020) , Rothschild’s gift for portraiture and willingness to turn anything (and anyone) into a joke make her a joy to read. But it isn’t all laughs: The books take place nearly a decade apart, capturing both the 2008 economic crash and the Brexit referendum through the eyes of a single family. In both, Rothschild deftly navigates the private moments, intimate discussions, and tragedy that befall the Trelawneys. Rothschild's) brilliant new novel, High Time, is pure escapist satire. Once again set in the world of high art as well as high finance – both of which she lampoons with comic aplomb – the book reads like a thrilling fairground ride version of Downton Abbey.' - Independent

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The madcap nature of the story; the clichés, and clever way they are rendered, make this a thoroughly enjoyable read - or, to use the correct terminology, a jolly good show. Yet the larger issues this satire plays on are equally fascinating.' Niamh Donnelly The Irish Times High Time is a manically and magical wonderful romp, fast and furious in pace, style and extravagance' - Geordie Greig The once-wealthy, forever-entitled British aristocrats who lost their ancestral mansion in the crash of 2008 in House of Trelawney (2020) face new challenges in 2016-2017. Like a Rococo painting, this clever, funny, beguiling and wholly humane romance is a treat worthy of its subject.' The Independent It's wonderful- its funny, thoroughly researched, intense, clever and beautifully constructed.' Molly Dineen, Today Programme, Radio 4