Writers and friends Jenny Condie and Polly Coles discuss the reality of living in Venice from their own personal perspectives. Both have spent several years living and bringing up families in the famous Italian city and have written books based on their experiences.

In The Politics of Washing: Real Life in Venice, Coles peels back the tourist facade and looks at the real Venice. She examines Venice from the point of view of its dwindling population and asks whether there is a future for this unique community away from the museums and the palaces. It is a tale both of noble families and of long-time Venetians who can no longer afford to live in their city. Condie’s The Gardens of Venice and the Veneto uncovers some of the magnificent gardens in and around Venice. They range from monastery gardens on islands in the lagoon to the garden behind Henry James’s Aspern Papers.

Coles writes fiction and about art and abridges for BBC Radio 4’s Book at Bedtime and Book of the Week. Condie has translated many significant works on art and art history and writes in Italian as a journalist. She has worked with the Fondazione di Venezia to originate and run workshops on English Literature for children in local schools.