Gillespie and I

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Gillespie and I is a 2011 novel by British author Jane Harris. It tells the story of Harriet Baxter, now an elderly woman living in Bloomsbury in 1933, who explains how four decades earlier she formed a close, complicated relationship with Ned Gillespie, a gifted Glasgow artist who never achieved the fame Harriet thinks he deserved.

Back in 1888, after her aunt dies, the young, art-loving Harriet travels to Glasgow for the International Exhibition. She befriends the Gillespie family—Annie, their daughters Sybil and Rose, and mother Elspeth—and becomes part of their lives. Harriet tries to help Ned's career as it faces threats from tabloid journalism and from Sybil's troubling behavior. Then a tragedy occurs, followed by a sensational criminal trial, and the world Harriet knew unravels into mystery and deception.

The book has been praised for its rich detail and suspense, with some reviewers comparing the storytelling to Hitchcock. Critics note that Harriet, the narrator, is unreliable and sometimes unlikeable, but also compelling. A few reviews also express reservations about the plot’s pace and the way some events are handled.

Gillespie and I was adapted for BBC Radio 4 as a ten-part 15 Minute Drama. It was published in the UK by Faber & Faber, in the US by HarperCollins, and in Australia/New Zealand by Allen & Unwin, with editions also issued in Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. An audiobook is narrated by Anna Bentinck.