Q&A: debut author Rachel Blackmore

Could you tell us about Costanza, and the inspiration behind it?
Costanza is set in Baroque Rome, 1636, and is the real-life story of Costanza, the lover and muse of rockstar artist Gianlorenzo Bernini. It's about a marble sculpture which altered the course of art history, but it's also about obsession, desire and control - and one young woman's incredible resilience in the face of male power.

You have done extensive research into the history of facial disfigurement, which is used in the novel to punish Costanza. What did you learn from it, and what did you want to convey to readers?
Throughout history facial disfigurement has marked women who transgress sexual norms. In ancient times it was nose-cutting, then face-slashing in Costanza's era, and today it's acid attacks. In the Baroque period a woman's beauty symbolised her virtue, yet beautiful women were also thought to corrupt men.