PHOTO: R.w. Meek, award-winning novelist and art historian, whose work explores the intersection of history, psychology, and the enduring power of art.
Unveiling Genius Through Fictional Imagination
R.w. Meek blends historical accuracy with imaginative storytelling in The Dream Collector, bringing Freud, van Gogh, and the luminous Sabrine into vivid focus while exploring art, love, betrayal, and human vulnerability.
R.w. Meek is a writer whose work bridges history, psychology, and art with a remarkable sensitivity to human frailty and genius. With a background in Art History and a deep engagement with Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, he brings an informed and imaginative voice to his novels, uniting scholarship with a storyteller’s instinct. His fascination with figures such as Vincent van Gogh and Sigmund Freud has led him to craft works that are both rich in historical detail and alive with emotional resonance.
At the heart of The Dream Collector lies a profound exploration of creativity, suffering, and the elusive nature of innocence. By weaving together the lives of Freud and van Gogh with the fictional yet luminous Sabrine, Meek constructs narratives that question how far art and love can heal—or destroy—the human spirit. His commitment to historical authenticity, combined with his gift for psychological depth, results in fiction that feels at once scholarly and vividly alive.
Award-winning and widely recognised, Meek has created stories that linger in the mind long after the final page is turned. Through themes of betrayal, abandonment, and the restorative power of art, his novels confront the universal struggles of identity, purpose, and belonging. Above all, his work reminds us that even the most brilliant and broken among us remain bound by the fragile threads of human connection.
The Dream Collector is composed of two books, “Sabrine & Sigmund Freud” and “Sabrine & Vincent van Gogh.” Should we consider The Dream Collector a series?
No. Both are stand-alone novels. If you are most interested in Freud and his early development in Paris, then Book I should be your choice. If you are more interested in the development of Vincent van Gogh, then of course Book II is a good start. However, The Dream Collector was conceived as whole, not divided.
An epic, if you will.
What inspired you to write The Dream Collector?
Vincent van Gogh, Sigmund Freud. Two of the most famous individuals in the world. Who hasn’t heard of them? Well, in 1886, both young Sigmund and Vincent lived in Paris. Their experiences in that momentous year shaped who they became and what they gave us.
Who is the Dream Collector?
Julie Forette, narrator and protagonist, collects the dreams of the major artists of late 19th Century which she believes, like Freud, reveal their neuroses and subconscious desires.
How close to you adhere to historical facts?
Closer than readers might think. Citing two examples, when discovering that Freud was enamored with cocaine, had written a treatise, ‘On Coca’, received the drug free from two pharmaceutical companies, and continually drank cocaine wine while in Paris, I remained his altered states of consciousness when invited to soirees by his mentor, the renowned neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot. When discovering that Monet experienced an hysterical attack of blindness after he selfishly abandoned his mistress and new baby for a painting expedition, I weaved my own imagined version into the plot when protagonist Julie Forette wears his dead wife’s clothing for a modeling session.
Who is Sabrine?
The pivotal character. The plot revolves around Sabrine. She is the spark to all whom she meets, particularly Sigmund Freud, her therapist, and Vincent van Gogh, her lover. Many readers are particularly taken with Sabrine’s charm and innocence. Which I find gratifying because what I sought to create was a truly innocent soul. One reader was reminded of Alyosha in The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky, who just happens to be my favorite writer.
Are there any other writers that were important for your development as an published author?
Antoine de Saint-Exupery and John Fowles.
What themes in The Dream Collector were important for you to explore?
Betrayal and Abandonment. I wanted to explore the tragedy of when someone you trust, you love, betrays and/or abandons you. Can you ever recover from the subsequent pain and trauma? If so, how? Which lead leads to my overarching theme, the rejuvenating power of art.
Book II, Sabrine and Vincent Van Gogh, follows the relationship of Sabrine and van Gogh, who grow increasingly self-destructive, leaving Julie and Freud to find out why. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The setup arose out of my passionate desire to understand why Vincent van Gogh, a genius of a painter, possessed his self-destructive impulses. I came to the conclusion that, in part, he perceived himself as a “stranger on this earth.” From childhood (his father a sermonizing pastor), Vincent believed himself to be the seed who fell by the wayside. Of course, for a more detailed (and explosive) explanation, one must read my novel. Sabrine, my fictional character, enabled me to mirror Vincent’s sense of abandonment and betrayal with her own back story.
Were there any archival sources or letters that particularly influenced key scenes or dialogue?
Yes, actual correspondence from the major historical characters was extremely important, especially Vincent van Gogh’s letters to his brother, Theo. A lot of the dialogue is lifted from the letters, sometimes verbatim. And the last days of his life are sadly and accurately rendered. (And no, no other person took Vincent’s life; he stepped into Wheatfield’s of Auvers on a beautifully sun-drenched day and aimed a revolver at his heart. He missed, but the damage was done.)
What’s next for R.w. Meek?
I’m presently adapting The Dream Collector into a screenplay. Purposefully residing thirty minutes from Hollywood, I have certain actors in mind for the main characters?
Who might they be?
My dream cast for the major female roles are Saoirse Ronan, Monica Barbaro, Suzanna Son and the exciting LA theater actress, Ann Noble. Mademoiselles, can you hear me?
