This irreverent debut novel from a startling new talent explores hedonism and heritage among the cold glitz of London's commercial art world

Romy, an art history student, is committed to a headlong and accelerating pursuit of pleasure in the rarefied air of the capital's art scene. Her sense of self fraying in this whirligig of decadence, she discovers in writing a way to keep her feet on the ground. Soon, Romy and her merry band of gays discover they are immersed in, of all unlikely things, the maelstrom of a developing novel.

Tapping into Laurence Sterne as much as it does Eve Babitz and Truman Capote, this infectious debut explores authorship and identity. It asks whether the pursuit of meaning can (or should) ever get in the way of a good time.

"She aspires to reconstruct existing narratives, by establishing a bigger and more impactful exposure to exceptional stories . She seeks stories but most importantly she loves to tell them" - Scene Arabia

"Fancy being a fly on the walls of the art world? Then this is the book for you ... the writing scintillates." - Monocle

"Cleverly meta-fictional, steeped in irony, and as entertaining as any of the glamorous parties at which the characters spend all of their late nights and early mornings...Romy's stream of consciousness allows Tapponi to look beyond smoke and mirrors to expose the true nature of those who call themselves artists." - Booklist

"This debut novel masterfully conflates James Joyce's Ulysses and Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones' Diary in both plot and narrative styles...Scene City is flush with literary allusions worthy of the snootiest of literati, but Tapponi's language-its "vibe"-is what makes it novel." - Southeast Review