Róisín Tapponi's Debut Novel 'Scene City' Reviewed in ArtReview

Róisín Tapponi's debut novel, Scene City, is featured in the October 2026 edition of ArtReview. Released by Verso at a price of £12.99 in paperback, the book is characterized as a self-aware exploration of the 2020s London art scene. The review highlights how the narrative fuses metafiction, identity politics, reflections on the attention economy, theory, fashion, beauty advice, psychogeography, and art history into a captivating and frenetic narrative, with clever wordplay like 'Creating content that makes them content'. The protagonist, Romy, an art-history student and budding writer, navigates a world filled with parties, drugs, sex, and self-indulgence. Tapponi's depiction of the art scene is noted as a true representation of aspirants, influencers, and affluent patrons. The review draws parallels between Romy's inspiration, Laurence Sterne's Tristram Shandy (1759–67), and the hedonistic style reminiscent of Bret Easton Ellis's American Psycho (1991), suggesting the former lacks the seamless blend of illusion and reality. Ultimately, the reviewer asserts that Romy's art world is one that most readers will never encounter.