Wittold is a vigorous, white-haired pianist and is infatuated with the stylish (and married) Beatriz after she helps organise his Barcelona concert. He sends her letters, extends countless invitations to travel, and even visits her husband's summer home in Mallorca. Their unlikely relationship blossoms, as does their intense power struggle.

J.M. Coetzee¿s work includes Waiting for the Barbarians, Life & Times of Michael K, Boyhood, Youth, Disgrace, Summertime, The Childhood of Jesus and, most recently, The Schooldays of Jesus. He was the first author to win the Booker Prize twice and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2003.