A NEW book offers a fictional account based on the life of pioneering photographer Julia Margaret Cameron

Cameron is now widely acknowledged as one of the 19th century's most important portraitists, although her work was contentious in her lifetime.

The Glass House, written by journalist Jody Cooksley, focuses on the depths of despair the Victorian photographer faced, with her relationships strained and in the face of humiliating reactions from artists who held her in contempt.

To succeed as a female photographer she must take on the patriarchy, the art world and, ultimately, her own family.

As Julia's uneasy relationship with fame grows, she fears the camera has taken part of her soul, leading her to India in her lifelong quest for peace and beauty.

Dimbola Lodge, her home and studio on the Isle of Wight, remains a museum of her life and work to this day.

The Glass House is Cooksley's first published novel and a second is currently in the works.

The book can be purchased on Amazon at a cost of £9.45 in paperback.