In Their Prime: Kiwi author Merryn Corcoran on her latest Italian novel

The moment Kiwi author Merryn Corcoran stepped foot in the abandoned Italian castle, she knew it would be the location for her next novel.

Originally from Sumner, Christchurch, Corcoran now spends much of her year in the south of France, in the seaside town of Menton – the same town New Zealand author Katherine Mansfield lived in and wrote from.

One weekend, she and her husband went to track down Sammezzano Castle, after seeing photos of the colourful castle on social media.

“The building from outside is very plain, but once I was inside I was completely blown away. I could feel I was walking where the most amazing, creative people had walked before me,” Corcoran said.

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