The Friday Night Club

A Novel of Artist Hilma af Klint and Her Creative Circle

By: Sofia Lundberg, Alyson Richman, M.J. Rose

Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert, Pete Cross, Alyson Richman

Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

An International Bestseller

While men have long been credited with producing the first abstract paintings, the true creator was actually a woman—Swedish artist Hilma af Klint, who was inspired by her mystic visions. Acclaimed authors Sofia Lundberg, Alyson Richman, and M.J. Rose bring her story to life in this groundbreaking novel.

Early 1900s: The world belongs to men, and the art world in Stockholm, Sweden, is no different, until Hilma af Klint brings together a mysterious group of female painters and writers—Anna, Cornelia, Sigrid, and Mathilda—to form their own emotional and artistic support system. The members of the Friday Night Club find themselves thrust into uncharted territory when Hilma and her best friend, Anna, begin dabbling in the occult, believing that through séances they can channel unseen spirits to help them achieve their potential as artists. “The Five,” as Hilma referred to them, was a group of immensely talented, fascinating women whose lives and work were cast into obscurity...until now.

The Present: Over a century later, an associate curator at the Guggenheim Museum, Eben Elliot, brings the Hilma af Klint show to New York where he uncovers questions about the Five and how the modern day art world is funded, which puts him in a precarious position both emotionally and professionally, as he witnesses how history can be manipulated.

The Friday Night Club is an illuminating historical novel that explores destiny, passion, and the threads that connect five women as they challenge artistic and societal traditions.

©2023 Sofia Lundberg, Alyson Richman, and M.J. Rose (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"In their important novel, The Friday Night Club, co-authors Sofia Lundberg, Alyson Richman, and M.J. Rose have unearthed the captivating story of the ground-breaking Swedish artist Hilma af Klint, arguably the world's first abstract artist who may well have inspired male painters like Wassily Kandinksy who typically receive credit for pioneering abstraction. This spell-binding exploration of the life and legacy of a long-forgotten woman and the circle of gifted friends who worked alongside her is a must-read."—Marie Benedict, New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Personal Librarian

"The Friday Night Club has everything I love in a novel: art, history, secrets, mysteries, friendships and love—along with a propulsive narrative. Kudos to Lundberg, Richman and Rose—and many thanks to them for bringing Hilma af Klint to life and giving her the attention her art deserves."—B.A. Shapiro, New York Times bestseller of Metropolis and The Art Forger

“[A] bracing novel of female empowerment… Using lively dialogue and an engaging narrative voice, authors Lundberg, Richman, and Rose paint an intriguing and feminist-centric portrayal of af Klint and her circle, women who were ahead of their time and unafraid to channel the voices of spirits they believed were guiding af Klint’s work. A lively and illuminating reimagining of an artist whose name we shouldn’t forget.”—Kirkus

The most important book I’ve read in many years

This book, these stories unlocked memories, dreams, experiences, and ideas I had chosen to forget. The power of the interwoven stories not only imagines a mysterious past but also guides the way to a future in which the prophetic Hilmas yet to come will flourish.

A tribute to beauty and truth

I was stunned by how creative artistic wisdom - in its utter luminosity - wove together threads from threads from so many worlds against all odds. The story is captivating and well acted out. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Catchy, rich, deep dive into the world of art

I enjoyed the focus on existential questions around what it means to be an artist, the people around and their contributions and support. Life in the museum, nowadays, and life of the female artists, at the turn of the 20th century, make for two catchy narrative lines that increase the flavour of the book. Spirituality and magical realism, too, add mystery and charm to the story.