On Friday 24/05/2024, in Chambéry, we met Elizabeth Delo, the English laureate, during the “First novel” (Premier Roman) Festival.
She wrote “Becoming Liz Taylor” in 2020-2021. The plot is about the kidnapping of a baby by a woman who disguises as Elizabeth Taylor. Mrs Delo was inspired by something she heard in an art exhibition where two women were talking about someone disguising as Elizabeth Taylor.
The name of the main character is Val. She lost her husband in a swimming pool while he was trying to jump from a diving board. But he failed and then he died. We don’t know if it’s a suicide or an accident. She also lost her baby 3 weeks after he was born because of health problems during his sleep. 50 years later, to cope with grief, she disguises as Liz Taylor. And she kidnaps a baby she saw unattended in a pram.
Val likes Liz Taylor because her husband had said to her she looked like the movie star and had given her a fur coat (like the one Elizabeth Taylor had).
For Mrs Delo, if you want to be a good writer, you have to observe the world, do hard work, and never give up.
