Welcome to
Melanie Hawthorne’s site

For a number of years I have been visiting some cult grave sites in Paris and making a record of what has been left. The most important graves are those of Renée Vivien and Natalie Barney in the Passy Cemetery and that of Oscar Wilde in the Père Lachaise, but you will also find some others here.

I propose a Renée Vivien themed cocktail for each month for one year. I offer Instructions on making the drink, an illustration and a poem by Vivien along with some things to think about while sipping.

For decadent enthusiasts with an ink fetish, here are the ten best decadent themed fountain pen inks.

Pay a virtual visit to the birthplace of Rachilde (Marguerite Emery Vallette, 1860-1953) here.

Some short stories if you feel like a little distraction

This space for future projects