Olivia Laing has released their latest novel, The Silver Book (FSG), a queer love story and noir thriller set in the world of 1970s Italian cinema. Laing shared via email, “I wrote The Silver Book while living in Rome, immersing myself in the city and trying to travel back in time to 1975, when directors like Pasolini and Fellini roamed the streets. I wrote it in a feverish two and a half months, fueled by the city’s wild energy.” The book centers on the real-life Oscar-winning costume designer Danilo Donati and a fictional English artist, Nicholas, who becomes his apprentice and lover. Readers follow the pair as they work on sets and costumes for Federico Fellini’s Casanova and Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Salò, set against the backdrop of Rome’s legendary Cinecittà film studio and Pasolini’s murder in 1975. As Laing described on Instagram, the novel is “an investigation into the difficult relationship between artifice and truth, illusion and reality, sex and power.”

This isn’t Laing’s first book set in Italy. Their novel Crudo was inspired by a trip to Val d’Orcia, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Tuscany. Though Laing was only a temporary resident of Rome, they quickly developed favorite spots. “Rome is the ultimate and eternal city. Everything happened here,” Laing told Vogue. “It’s unreasonably beautiful and changes your relationship to time.”

Hotel: I stay at the British School at Rome, which feels like stepping into a Muriel Spark novel from 1955.

Restaurant: Piatto Romano, but it’s hardcore Roman-style. Be prepared for a very simple, no-frills rabbit dish.

Breakfast: Grab a cornetto and cappuccino at Canova and pretend you’re Fellini. The waiters might not treat you like a star, but you’re in Piazza del Popolo—so who cares?

Caffeine fix: It’s Rome—you can get coffee anywhere. Just remember to drink it standing up.

Dessert: Blackberry gelato at Giolitti, a classic for good reason. And yes, you want the panna.

Best dish: Puntarelle alla romana, bitter greens dressed with anchovy—a dream on a gray, rainy January day.

Shop I’m obsessed with: Schostal, for socks and especially their delicious striped cotton men’s boxer shorts, my summer uniform.

Place I always visit when in town: The Borghese Gardens to see Dante.

To see art: The Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica at Palazzo Barberini is full of breathtaking masterpieces and is never crowded, despite housing an impressive collection of Caravaggios. Or simply walk through the streets with your head up.

To stock up on beauty buys: Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella for perfumes and soaps made by nuns using ancient recipes. I love Tabacco Toscano.

Must-buy souvenir: The priest calendar, available at every newsstand in the city—it never fails to make me smile.

Nature escape: Stroll along the Tiber and enjoy the sight of starlings in the plane trees and bright green parakeets darting over the moody green water.

For peace and quiet: The Botanic Garden is truly special. I once did an event in the limonaia, where the lemon trees spend their winter.

Best way to get around town: On foot, my friend. Golf buggies are for losers.

Best view: With seven hills, Rome has no shortage of vantage points, but I love the view from Janiculum Hill. Just don’t forget the opening scene of La Grande Bellezza, where a tourist takes one look and drops dead from an excess of beauty.

Best time to visit, weather-wise: October, when temperatures drop and the light is so liquid it feels like a shot of pure serotonin.

Something you should know about my city: Rome is the ultimate and eternal city. Everything happened here. It’s unreasonably beautiful and changes your relationship to time.The city’s vibrant energy fueled my writing, allowing me to complete The Silver Book in an intense two-and-a-half months.

Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about Olivia Laings writing on Rome focusing on the rabbit and the Borghese Gardens with clear and concise answers

General Beginner Questions

1 Who is Olivia Laing
Olivia Laing is a wellknown British writer and critic She often writes in a style that blends memoir biography and cultural criticism exploring themes of loneliness art and the life of cities

2 What is this piece of writing about
Its a piece of nonfiction where Laing uses her observation of a simple rabbit in Romes Borghese Gardens as a starting point to reflect on bigger ideas about solitude the history of the city and our relationship with the natural world in an urban space

3 Where are the Borghese Gardens
The Borghese Gardens are a large historic landscape garden in the heart of Rome Italy They are a popular public park filled with museums fountains and pine trees

4 Why is a rabbit significant in an essay about Rome
The rabbit represents a moment of unexpected simple life amidst the grand history and art of Rome For Laing it becomes a symbol of the present moment solitude and the quiet often overlooked aspects of a place

Deeper Analytical Questions

5 What is the main theme Laing explores through the rabbit
A central theme is solitude The rabbit going about its own business mirrors the experience of being alone in a foreign city Laing uses it to explore the difference between lonely isolation and a peaceful observant solitude

6 How does she connect the rabbit to the history of Rome
She uses the rabbit as a contrast While Rome is defined by its immense crowded human history the rabbit represents a timeless nonhuman perspective Its a way to see the city and its gardens outside of the usual historical narrative

7 What is the literary style of this work
Its a form of creative nonfiction specifically a lyrical essay It blends personal observation with philosophical reflection and art criticism all sparked by a single mundane event

8 What other artists or writers does Laing likely reference in this context
While the specific essay may vary Laing frequently draws connections to other figures In the context of Rome and solitude she