Mr Mac and Me by Esther Freud

Esther Freud’s new novel, presents a moving tale of young Thomas Maggs in Walberswick, Suffolk, at the outbreak of the First World War and the friendship he developed with Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh.

This afternoon at The Hunterian, Esther Freud read extracts from the novel and discussed her engagement with the Mackintosh story. The event was introduced by Prof. Pamela Robertson who gave an illustrated presentation about the Mackintoshes’ year in Suffolk.

Esther gave a great insight into her latest novel and what life was like in the village of Walberswick on the Suffolk coast in 1914. The narrator of the novel is 12-year-old Thomas Maggs, a publican's son, who has one lame leg and whose untutored talent for painting arouses the admiration and encouragement of the Mackintoshes.

After the reading, Pamela did a Q & A with Esther on her research for the book and her experiences of life in Walberswick. We then had a number of questions from the audience before Esther signed copies of her book. I managed to take a couple of quick shots of Esther in the Gallery where there is currently an excellent exhibition of Mackintosh sketches and some wonderful watercolours from his time in Walberswick.

It was an enlightening afternoon on a fascinating chapter in the life of the Mackintoshes. I would highly recommend Mr Mac and Me.

The Mackintosh watercolour in the background is Petunia flowers. Mackintosh left Glasgow in the early summer of 1914, and he and his artist-wife Margaret Macdonald went to stay in Walberswick. There Mackintosh produced a series of flower drawings, and a number of watercolour studies of the surrounding landscape.