Contemporary fiction: literary and general

Book SynopsisLinguistically dexterous, scintillating with intelligence and wit, and balancing incisive observation with deep compassion, the short fictions in Y Knots draw us into the lives of characters we feel completely involved with. Here we have a hall of mirrors in which the writer mines his soul for images that reflect the story. But in interrogating the self, what Omar Sabbagh produces is an engaging array of unique perspectives on all our souls.Trade ReviewIf, as Sabbagh writes, writing is always a performance and projection of a self, then Y Knots is the performance of a self breath-takingly prodigious and heterodox. That Sabbagh is able to weave this self into characters whose tussles leap off the page so compellingly shows a master at work. — Peter Salmon, author of An Event, Perhaps: A Biography of Jacques Derrida;Y Knots hold the Hanging Gardens of Babylon teleported into the tired aridity of a postmodern mind. The lushness of Sabbagh’s characters and settings is nurtured with such loving drip-irrigation precision that you'll find yourself enamored with both his beauties and his beasts. — Svetlana Lavochkina, novelist, poet, translator;Intelligent and passionate, these stories are singularities that make all the difference. Sabbagh seems to be, as he describes one of his characters, ‘an inexorably-thinking man’, but there is a certain rawness and playfulness to the stories which makes the philosophical grounding often quite hilarious. Sabbagh is also a unique chronicler of the Middle East and globalization. — Adnan Mahmutovic, author of At the Feet of Mothers

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Book Synopsis'Beyond the Samovar' is a gripping, engaging story of escape, love and loss. In 1919, a young English couple, Livvy and Peter, leave Baku, which the previous year had become the capital of an independent Azerbaijan. While Livvy is reluctant to leave her home, Peter sees no future for Britons in the new country and treats their escape as an adventure. With their baby, they bluff and bribe their way across Bolshevik and White Russian territory to Archangel on the north coast of Russia, hoping to board a British ship. Only two of them ever manage to reach home.

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Book SynopsisOne mistake can unravel everything... She only left her daughter in the car for a minute; just a quick minute whilst she ran into the shop. She barely thought twice about making the decision, but it soon began to consume her every thought. And not just her thoughts, but those of every neighbour, police officer and social security worker in a fifteen mile radius. But this is her child. Surely she knows best? After she'd made the move to a small town in Scotland, the rolling hills and blustery beaches seemed to be the perfect backdrop for her and her four year-old daughter, Emily, to start again. It wasn't always easy just the two of them, but Liz was sure that she could manage this time. And now this? Sometimes, one mistake is all it takes to unravel everything.

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Book SynopsisSacred artifacts have gone missing from the Minnesota Red Earth Reservation and the suspect list is growing. While it could be the racists from the bordering town, or a young man struggling with problems, or the county coroner and his cronies, the need for answers and apprehending the culprit is amplified when the Tribal Chairman, is murdered.

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION Mixing business and family is a recipe for disaster 'A warm, moving multi-generational family saga, with a blackly comic streak that will make you snort your tea' Sam Baker, The Pool Bedtime Book Club The popular Beijing Duck House has been serving devoted regulars for decades. Yet behind the staff's professional smiles simmer tensions, heartaches and grudges from years of bustling restaurant life. When disaster strikes, two of the younger generation find themselves in a dangerous game that means tragedy for the Duck House. And soon, their families are forced to finally confront the conflicts and loyalties playing out beneath the red and gold lanterns.

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Book SynopsisShe's one of the stars of the shore this summer; one of the girls who doesn't care what she's drinking or what pill she's taking; who ties perfectly knotted cherry stems with her tongue; her family is rich and she's untouchable. Except her parents' marriage is in brutal collapse and her brother is violently lashing out, the community around her wracked with suspicion and guilt. As her identity unravels, she circles back to the night that a local girl drowned, and no one tried to save her. Daringly experimental, Machine is a kaleidoscopic interrogation of gender, class and privilege, an unforgettable rendering of youth spinning out of control.Trade Review'Steinberg shifts backwards and forward in time, just as her prose shifts into a kind of poetry. The result is a glittering, knifelike reflection of despair through the eyes of a young woman, made richer by the fact that it's told in hindsight' - New Yorker'Otherworldly, and every-other-line sublime, Machine reads like the text messages Laura Palmer might send back from the Black Lodge. It's a timely reminder of why our culture remains haunted by dead girls, and of the different ways we find to drown them' - Bennett Sims'Her slim narrative of adolescent crisis is as propulsive as it is disorienting, subverting expectations at every turn' - The Atlantic

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Book SynopsisAssigned to the same suite during their freshman year at Quincy-Hawthorne College, Lainey, Ji Sun, Alice, and Margaret quickly become inseparable. But their bonds must weather threats that come from the dark forests of their childhoods, and beyond - from institutions, from one another, and ultimately, from within themselves. As they move through their wild college days to their more feral days as new parents, each of the four friends will make a terrible mistake. With one part of the novel devoted to each mistake - the Accident, the Accusation, the Kiss, and the Bite -The Other's Gold reveals the achingly familiar ways our life-defining turning points prompt our relationships to unravel and re-knit, as the women discover what they and their loved ones are capable of, and capable of forgiving.

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Book SynopsisKate has been trying to do things right. To mark an important anniversary, she plans an exquisite dinner for her family. Yet by the end of the night, the drinking games have ended in awkward silence, the guests have fled, and Kate feels herself spinning out of control. Told across the decades, this is the story of a family shattered by grief, but tied by bonds too knotty to untangle. It's the story of what happens when the past catches up with the present, and of why, despite everything, we can't help returning home. ---- READERS LOVE DINNER PARTY 'A tense, literary page-turner' 'An incredibly poignant story of a family torn by loss and grief' 'A totally compelling read about fraught family relationships, sisterhood, loss, grief and everything in between'Trade Review“Gilmartin's dialogue sparkles, and her understanding of family dynamics is sharp. "Dinner Party" is a smooth read, a true feast of dysfunction.” --The Minneapolis Star Tribune"People’s masks slip in Dinner Party, a sedulous novel in which a family confronts its demons with determination." --Foreword Reviews

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Book SynopsisFor years, the residents of Lake Haven, Wisconsin ignored the whispered troubles about the Chao family, if only to keep eating at the best restaurant in town. But when tyrannical patriarch Big Chao is found frozen to death in the family's meat freezer, scandalous events force the community to turn its attention to the three Chao sons. DAGOU, presupposed heir to the business. MING, successful banker, determined to sever ties with Haven's Asian community once and for all. JAMES, naive college student, who is only just learning of his family's past. As the family's dog mysteriously disappears, and Dagou "Dog Eater" Chao is held on trial for his father's murder, the Chaos' turbulent history spills into the public eye while a small town looks on in disbelief...Trade Review'Chang's prose moves with the unfussy ease of a shark through water - for the longest time you are just enjoying your swim, soaking up the story. Only midway through the book does it occur to you that a master hunter is at work: a writer cutting through the darker depths of what it means to be treated as an outsider in America' - The Guardian'Scathing and hilarious, the rollicking tale considers the thorny themes of assimilation, identity, pride, filial piety, transracial adoption, and interracial relationships... you'll never look at Chinese restaurant families the same' - Vogue'[An] entertaining portrait of a clusterf**k Chinese-American family... a memorable expose of the dark undercurrents of small-town morality' - The Independent'An insightful comedy of the American immigrant experience, and of a small town's inner workings' - John Irving'A very smart novel about family, immigration, delicious food, and brutal Midwestern winters AND a modern retelling of The Brothers Karamazov (!)' - Curtis Sittenfeld (via Twitter)

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Book SynopsisNew in paperback: the conversation-starting, engrossing novel about power and consent in the pressure cooker of a high-end restaurantWhen Hannah learns that famed chef Daniel Costello is facing accusations of sexual assault, she's thrown back to the summer she spent waitressing at his high-end Dublin restaurant - the plush splendour of the dining rooms, the wild parties after service, the sizzling tension of the kitchens. But Hannah also remembers how the attention from Daniel soon morphed from kindness into something darker. Now the restaurant is shuttered and Daniel is faced with the reality of a courtroom. His wife Julie is hiding from paparazzi lenses behind the bedroom curtains. Surrounded by the wreckage of the past, Daniel, Julie and Hannah must reconsider what happened at the restaurant. Their three different voices reveal a story of power and complicity, the lies we tell and the courage it takes to face the truth.

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Book SynopsisOne beautiful September day, three sixty-six-year-old men convene on Martha's Vineyard, friends ever since meeting in college in the 1960s. They couldn't have been more different then, or even today - Lincoln's a commercial real estate broker, Teddy a tiny-press publisher and Mickey an ageing musician. But each man holds his own secrets, in addition to the monumental mystery that none of them has ever stopped puzzling over since 1971: the disappearance of their friend Jacy. Now, decades later, the distant past interrupts the present as the truth about what happened to Jacy finally emerges, forcing the men to reconsider everything they thought they knew about each other. Shot through with Russo's trademark comedy and humanity, Chances Are also introduces a new level of suspense and menace that will quicken the reader's heartbeat throughout this absorbing saga of how friendship's bonds are every bit as constricting and rewarding as those of family.For both longtime fans and lucky newcomers, Chances Are is a stunning demonstration of a highly-acclaimed author deepening and expanding his remarkable body of work.Trade ReviewCleverly paced, Russo's latest novel folds page-turning suspense into an unhurried, warmly observed portrait of friendship in later life. * Mail on Sunday *His stories are omnisciently narrated in a tone of sardonic understanding of human folly, which places him in the house of American style on a polished mezzanine between John Updike and Anne Tyler...Chances Are, a rare mix of the tense and tender, should gain Russo further literary acclaim. -- Mark Lawson * Guardian *There's much to enjoy in Richard Russo's typically nuanced portrait of three childhood friends...[a] fine-grained exploration of troubled, small-town masculinity...Russo's prose is so quietly melodious you can almost hear it singing. * Daily Mail *An eloquent excavation of long-buried secrets. * Observer *totally engrossing...Humane and beautifully crafted, it provides further compelling evidence of Russo's prestige as a contemporary American writer. * Sydney Morning Herald *...chances are awfully good that you'll lap up this gripping, wise and wonderful summer treat. * Boston Globe *Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Richard Russo balances suspense with comedy in this gripping tale. * Time *Richard Russo is often compared to Dickens, to whom he clearly owes a debt, but the ghost hovering over his fabulous new novel, Chances Are, feels more like Sam Shepard...Next to Colson Whitehead's new book, there's not a better paced summer read -- John Freeman * Literary Hub *...blends everything we love about this author with something new...Vintage Russo...No one understands men better than Russo, and no one is more eloquent in explaining how they think, suffer and love. * Kirkus (starred review) *Russo's hallmark themes - the intricacy of male friendships, one-sided love, the collision of the past with the present - are on full display * New York Times *...a brisk story with memorable characters and smart things to say about loss and missed opportunities. * Minneapolis Star Tribune *...there's heart and beauty on every page. * USA Today *Richard Russo can write like Edith Wharton leavened with a touch of David Lodge. * The Economist *A writer of great comedy and warmth, Russo's living proof that a book can be profound and wise without aiming straight into darkness. * USA Today *Perhaps if it was pointed out that here was a US writer who stood somewhere between Anne Tyler at her darkest and Russell Banks, with an occasional hint of Richard Ford at his least bleak, perhaps Russo would become as widely read as he deserves to be. * Irish Times *No one writing today captures the detail of life with such stunning accuracy. -- Annie Proulx

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Book SynopsisTwo schoolgirls in Bolton take acid just before their English class. A film journalist shares tea and a Kitkat with Marcel Proust, more or less, during a long train journey. An afterparty turns into a crime scene. Colleagues, maybe in love, have lunch and don’t quite talk about their relationship. A woman flees to New Orleans and finds unexpected treasures there. In her electric debut, Anna Wood skips through the decades of a woman’s life, meeting friends, lovers, shapeshifters and doppelgängers along the way. Delights and regrets pile up, time becomes non-linear, characters stumble and shimmy through moments of rupture, horror and joy. Written with warmth, wit and swagger, these stories glide from acutely observed comic dialogue to giddy surrealism and quiet heartbreak, and always there is music – pop songs as tiny portals into another world. Yes Yes More More is packed with friendship, memory, pleasure and love.Trade ReviewThoughts, connected, on Mayday https://www.thesocial.com/thoughts-connected-on-mayday-by-anna-wood/ -- Anna WoodBumper Christmas Issue Featured in ‘New Year’s Read-olutions: What we’re looking forward to in 2021’ * The Indie Insider Newsletter *‘This!! Book!! It makes me ache. I ache for nights out and hangovers and weddings and holidays, I ache for pubs and New Orleans and swimming in the pond.’ https://twitter.com/alicemjslater/status/1348756457932660739 -- Alice Slater * Twitter *‘An ode to being alive & the sometimes painful beauty of the world, immerses you in a stream of brilliant shining moments, carries you effortlessly on its flow. I’m in awe.’ https://twitter.com/Catrionaward/status/1349328073213308928 -- Catriona Ward * Twitter *‘The writing is sharp and funny and the dialogue is relatable and genuine. I just couldn’t stop reading and ended up finishing the last story in a stone cold bath! I can’t recommend this collection enough.’ https://www.instagram.com/p/CKG4_YZgRb5/ -- @bookishchat * Instagram *‘Amazing and brilliant’ https://twitter.com/TedKessler1/status/1352577170967822337/photo/1 -- Ted Kessler * Twitter *‘Really really brilliant’, ‘filled with vitality’, ‘we love it’ Stay Indoors and Read: Episode 4 https://edmcdonaldwriting.com/stay-indoors-and-read/ -- Ed Mcdonald and Catriona Ward * Stay Indoors and Read (vlog) *Rough Trade Book Club with Leone Ross and Anna Wood https://www.mixcloud.com/sohoradio/rough-trade-book-club-04052021/ * Soho Radio *Review: Yes Yes More More by Anna Wood (2021) ‘The writing is dazzling – so sharp and fresh and vivid – every sentence zings with truth.’ https://elspells.home.blog/2021/05/06/review-yes-yes-more-more-by-anna-wood-2021/ * Elspells *Review: Yes Yes More More ‘Days of glory, joy and happiness is a fair description of most of Yes Yes More More.’ https://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/102954-2/ -- Alex Diggins * 3AM Magazine *Review: Yes Yes More More by Anna Wood ‘This is a book about what it takes to be alive, a field guide to living life as well as we possibly can, while we can.’ https://lunate.co.uk/reviews/yes-yes-more-more-by-anna-wood -- Gary Kaill * Lunate *Anna Wood’s Yes Yes More More: Stories of Pleasure and Friendship ‘Published by The Indigo Press, Wood’s debut is a comical, heart-warming and introspective example of masterful short fiction’ https://nrthlass.com/2021/05/31/anna-woods-yes-yes-more-more-stories-of-pleasure-and-friendship/ -- Beth Barker * NRTH LASS *10 reasons to love Yes Yes More More https://www.caughtbytheriver.net/2021/06/10-reasons-to-love-yes-yes-more-more/ -- Wndy erskine * Caught By The River *Review | Yes Yes More More by Anna Wood ‘After being deprived of these things for so long, many of us are realising just how precious they are as we creep back to normality. Yes Yes More More, already a trove of joy and feeling, therefore comes to us at a time when we are even more capable of appreciating it.’ https://www.thelondonmagazine.org/review-yes-yes-more-more-by-anna-wood/ -- Alys Key * The London Magazine *The best books of 2021 so far: Novels, memoirs, short stories and more https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/the-best-books-of-2021-so-far-novels-memoirs-short-stories-and-more-1.4596346 -- Wendy Erskine * The Irish Times *The good life: Delight, indulgence and grit in Anna Wood’s Yes Yes More More ‘Fifteen immensely nourishing stories that shimmer with thrills, fun and pleasure, each one a chomping bite of everything good about life.’ https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/yes-yes-more-more-anna-wood-book-review-alice-ash/ -- Alice Ash * The Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisArrival is an exploration of the ripple effects of domestic abuse. The story follows a young woman fleeing her home country and trying to rebuild her life abroad, after she has suffered violence at the hands of an alcoholic father. Prompted by her therapist, the unnamed protagonist starts processing the abuse experienced in her childhood while also pondering what it means to be a mother when consumed by trauma. The novel bends form to accommodate the narrator’s scattered mind and her attempt to assemble a version of herself through fragments and stitches of memories, borrowed conversations and minutiae that linger and haunt. Despite grappling with heavy themes – trauma, rejection, cultural identity – the narrative is infused with love and determination and interwoven with folk tales and rituals. It depicts the ways in which we are resilient, capable of carving our own paths and reimagining our lives.Trade ReviewWhat to read in 2022: 10 Books from Eastern Europe to embrace the world more closely ‘Deleva’s story is not told in neatly packaged chapters, but shards of flashbacks, memories, and observations, in prose that is languid and inquiring.’ https://www.calvertjournal.com/features/show/13383/memoirs-novels-and-poetry-from-eastern-europe-to-look-forward-to-in-2022 -- Matt Janney * The Calvert Journal *The new book releases you need in your life in 2022 https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/entertainment/g38664811/best-books-2022/?slide=12 -- Alice Snape * Cosmopolitan *For the Record by Nataliya Deleva https://www.lunate.co.uk/fiction/for-the-record-by-nataliya-deleva * Lunate *How Nataliya Deleva Became An Internationally Acclaimed Writer https://www.writerscollegeblog.com/how-nataliya-deleva-became-an-internationally-acclaimed-writer/ -- Veselina Yaneva * Writers College *‘Deleva has struck again, this novel had me entirely captivated me from start to finish! Its vulnerable, honest yet meditative & optimistic. Just breathtaking!’ https://www.instagram.com/p/CaSgsPzr8zG/?hl=en -- @gabrielas_goodreads * Instagram *‘l took my breath away. From the moment I read the first page, I was mesmorised by Deleva’s prose.’ https://www.instagram.com/p/CfQa6-fLVoZ/?hl=en -- @currentlysammy * Instagram *‘Arrival is remarkable. The prose is lush and beautifully written.’ https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce53iuCLhDE/?hl=en -- @booksolace * Instagram *‘A heartbreaking but beautiful story about domestic violence and its effects.’ https://www.instagram.com/p/CdL6rGrL-pk/?hl=en -- @mcmreads * Instagram *‘Beautiful characters, a love letter to youth, optimism and of living in London, vulnerable and honest, and containing such raw hope for the future, an incredibly affecting read! 5 stars’ https://www.instagram.com/p/CaW8cDyL9k_/?hl=en -- @bristolianbooks * Instagram *

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Book SynopsisMarianne is eight years old when her mother goes missing. Left behind with her baby brother and grieving father in a ramshackle house on the edge of a small village, she clings to the fragmented memories of her mother’s love; the smell of fresh herbs, the games they played, and the songs and stories of her childhood. As time passes, Marianne struggles to adjust, fixated on her mother’s disappearance and the secrets she’s sure her father is keeping from her. Discovering a medieval poem called Pearl and trusting in its promise of consolation, Marianne sets out to make a visual illustration of it, a task that she returns to over and over but somehow never manages to complete. Tormented by an unmarked gravestone in an abandoned chapel and the tidal pull of the river, her childhood home begins to crumble as the past leads her down a path of self-destruction. But can art heal Marianne? And will her own future as a mother help her find peace?Trade ReviewAn interview with author Siân Hughes: ‘the heart of the mystery is this dangerous ground of motherhood’ – Lucy Writers Platform -- Rym Kechacha * Lucy Writers *

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Book SynopsisMoscow, 1985. Four teenagers – Anya, Milka, Petya and Aleksey, whose lives, like those of their Western counterparts, are fuelled by sex, alcohol and cigarettes – yearn for a world of Levi’s, Queen, foreign travel and the freedom to choose their fates. Instead, they encounter heartbreak and tragedy, while all around them Soviet policies, cruel but familiar, are giving way to untested concepts such as glasnost and perestroika and a brief flourishing of hope before the next repressive regime take root. This is the hour between dog and wolf, twilight, when one state has ended and another has not quite begun. Although it depicts a chaotic and desperate era, this exceptional debut novel pulsates with life. It is radiant with friendship and love, the power of international literature, values and politics, as its characters struggle to survive, to save their country and one another.Trade Reviewhttp://www.midwestbookreview.com/rbw/mar_22.htm#markzvonkovic -- Mark Zvonkovic * Midwest Book Review *https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-593-35601-2 * Publishers Weekly *https://chireviewofbooks.com/2022/03/21/the-orchard/amp/ -- Caitlin Stout * Chicago Review of Books *https://www.startribune.com/review-the-orchard-by-kristina-gorcheva-newberry/600155081/ -- Cory Ildweller * Minneapolis Star Tribune *https://www.bookpage.com/reviews/the-orchard-kristina-gorcheva-newberry/ -- Thane Tierney * Bookpage *https://www.christinesneed.com/post/interview-with-debut-novelist-kristina-gorcheva-newberry -- Christine Sneedhttps://swvatoday.com/community/bland_county/article_5b4553c4-c7fa-11ec-8dec-2f6076c9405b.html#tracking-source=home-top-story -- Millie Rothrock * Bland Country Messenger *https://www.pbs.org/show/write-around-corner/ -- Rose Martin * Write Around the Corner, Blue Ridge PBS *https://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/features/an-interview-with-kristina-gorcheva-newberry?fbclid=IwAR3N8AWAzlt4DR-TVlIbsM5qddq7c-zqcDWRxlsnkKoIlHyaahaIpK18-6M&fs=e&s=cl -- Cathy Alter * Washing Independent Review of Books *https://harvardreview.org/book-review/the-orchard/ -- Olive Fellows * The Harvard Review *https://nypost.com/2022/10/13/priyanka-chopra-jonas-favorite-jewels-and-beauty-finds/ -- Priyanka Chopra * The New York Post *Best books of 2022: Top 30 must-read titles of the year (nypost.com) -- Mackenzie Dawson * The New York Post *

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Book SynopsisThe Seeker is a musical and accompanying illustrated book adaptation of Hermann Hesse’s classic novel, Siddhartha, that has captivated readers for over 100 years. Now vividly retold by composer and author, Rachel Fuller, The Seeker follows the quest of the young Siddhartha as he embarks on a journey of self-discovery and enlightenment during the time of the Gautama Buddha. Siddhartha’s adventures and search for wisdom are brought to new life by the striking artwork of Emilia Wharfe, alongside the complete lyrics and narrative from the album. The Seeker includes access via a QR code to original music composed by Rachel Fuller, narration by the late Christopher Plummer, and features a dazzling array of performances from Pete Townshend, Sir Elton John, Nakhane, Emeli Sandé, Layton Williams, Sunidhi Chauhan and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Lifetime followers of this timeless story and a new generation of seekers a

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Book SynopsisModern-day New York, a subway train. David, an American-Jewish jazz musician, torn between his dreams and his parents' expectations, sees a woman across the carriage. Ameena, a British-Pakistani artist who left Manchester to escape the pressure from her conservative family, sees David. When a moment of sublime beauty occurs unexpectedly, the two connect, moved by their shared experience. From this flows a love that it appears will triumph above all. But as David and Ameena navigate their relationship, their ambitions and the city they love, they discover the external world is not so easy to keep at bay. Ami Rao's masterful debut novel picks apart the lives of two people, stripping them of their collective identities and, in doing so, facing up to the challenge of today: can love give us the freedom to accept our differences?Trade Review'Exquisite. Beautiful. Provocative. I love her writing' —Jim Lawless, author of 'Taming Tiger'; 'I've never read such an accurate and telling evocation of the additional complications of personal creative expression. Its truth makes it hard to read in places but Rao's sparkling voice leads you through' —Tim Hayward, writer, broadcaster and columnist; 'A touching story of multicultural love, desire, and achievement with "soul" at its heart. Ami writes in a way that makes you feel you are there in the story with David and Ameena, improvising jazz with David and helping Ameena find honesty in her art - an inspirational read!' —Geoffrey Horton, musician and vocalist; 'Ami Rao intricately weaves threads of love, family, politics and identity to create a beautiful, and very real, modern love story that sparkles beneath a New York skyline' —Huma Qureshi, author of How We Met; 'One of the most emotionally rich and mesmerising novels I've read in some time. Rao's gorgeous and graceful writing makes David and Ameena compulsively readable. This book will seduce you, enthral you, and change the way you think about love' —Jonathan Eig, New York Times bestselling author of Ali: A Life; 'A well-drawn portrait of an adult relationship where individual fears and insecurities are as present as the couple's aspirations for mutual love, support, and future happiness' —Publisher's Weekly; 'This unexpectedly moving, in-depth love story by debut author Ami Rao explores the challenge of differences in background, faith and culture when two people fall in love' —My Weekly; 'Rao makes her solo debut with a novel rich in imagery and emotions. It challenges the reader to look deep into the characters through their actions, as an almost omniscient narrative voice hints at their future. Love or hate them, they are memorable' —Library Journal; 'Easy, sophisticated storytelling...this is a fine romance' —Foreword Reviews

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Book SynopsisLonglisted for The Women's Prize for Fiction 2019, The Republic of Consciousness Prize 2019 and The People's Book Prize 2018. 'Enjoyable to read' - Dolly Alderton, The High Low. When Alina's brother-in-law defects to the West, she and her husband become persons of interest to the secret services, causing both of their careers to come grinding to a halt. As the strain takes its toll on their marriage, Alina turns to her aunt for help - the wife of a communist leader and a secret practitioner of the old folk ways. Set in 1970s communist Romania, this novella-in-flash draws upon magic realism to weave a tale of everyday troubles that can't be put down. 'A story to savour, to smile at, to rage against and to weep over.' - Zoe Gilbert, author of 'Folk'Trade Review‘A story to savour, to smile at, to rage against and to weep over’ – Zoe Gilbert, author of Folk; ‘Sophie van Llewyn’s stunning debut novella shows us there is no dystopian fiction as frightening as that which draws on history’ —Christina Dalcher, author of 'VOX'; ‘A masterful blend of the political and the personal, the magical and the mundane, the historical and the hyperbolic' —Ingrid Jendrzejewski, editor-in-chief of FlashBack Fiction; ‘This is an impressive debut in the tradition of Eastern European Absurdist fiction’ —Jude Higgins, Bath Flash Fiction Award organiser; ‘Sophie van Llewyn has brought light into an era which cast a long shadow’ —Joanna Campbell, author of When Planets Slip Their Tracks; ‘The uncertainties of life and love, and the insatiable quest for freedom – bottled neatly in a set of stories that captivate and enchant’ —Michelle Elvy, coordinator of New Zealand’s Flash Fiction Day and Bath Flash Fiction Award judge; ‘A tour de force, a harrowing and ultimately triumphant story, a must-read by a masterful writer’ —Christopher Allen, author of 'Other Household Toxins'; ‘A dizzying, daring window on life in Ceausescu’s Romania’ —Stephanie Hutton, author of 'Three Sisters of Stone'; ‘A lucid and powerfully affecting story’ —Helen Rye, winner of the Bath Flash Fiction Award; ‘This stunning historical novella […] is both tense and atmospheric’ —Mslexia; 'The prose is tight, witty, vivid and atmospheric […] Every word on the page pulls its weight’ —Litro; ‘Van Llewyn’s use of language is hypnotic and the worlds she creates stark and grotesque, calling to mind Shirley Jackson or Muriel Spark’ —Smokelong magazine

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Book SynopsisEight year old Pepper sees the world a little differently from most people. One day, during a school field trip, Pepper is kidnapped by a stranger and driven to rural Arkansas. The man, who calls himself 'Uncle Dan', claims that Pepper's mother has died and they are to live together from now on - but the boy isn't convinced. Pepper always found it hard to figure out when people are lying, but he's absolutely certain his mother is alive, and he's going to find her...Trade Review'8-year old Pepper proves a tenacious, resourceful hero in his own drama. Immensely readable and sweetly told' —Marti Leimbach, author of 'Daniel Isn't Talking'; ‘A charming and touching story’ —The Big Issue; ‘An engaging, highly readable and skilfully written novella. It generates a fine sense of shadowy jeopardy and builds to a satisfyingly tense climax. In Pepper it has a convincing young narrator who sees the world in his own very distinctive fashion' —Anthony Ferner, author of 'Inside the Bone Box'

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Book SynopsisWhen an American whaler arrives to a coastal town, the peace of its inhabitants is disrupted. A tale of passion and folly set in the North East of England.Trade Review'A novel of shifting, silted landscapes and relationships laid bare, with quiet urgency The Woodcock reveals the complexities of desire, instinct and faith' —Eley Williams, author of 'The Liar's Dictionary'; 'Beautifully written - I could almost taste the salt' —Carys Bray, author of 'A Song for Issy Bradley'; 'An astonishing piece of literary ventriloquism - Smyth revisits the period novel with a contemporary sensibility and an incredible sense of place' —Owen Booth, author of 'The All True Adventures (And Rare Education) of The Daredevil Daniel Bones'; 'This is a funny and thoughtful novel. Sardonic sometimes, mordant at others, it is always witty, fast, and smart' —Tim Dee, author of 'Greenery'; 'Observing the consequences of the arrival of strangers through the salty prism of a small, northern English coastal town, Smyth has a naturalist's eye for detail, and turns it here upon human nature. 'The Woodcock' is beautiful and unsettling in equal measure' —Jon Dunn, author of 'Orchid Summer'; 'The world Smyth evokes with his vibrant prose leaps off the page - every character lives and breathes, and beneath its ordinary surface, 1920s Gravely teems with beauty, complexity and mystery' —Jenn Ashworth, author of 'Fell'; 'Compelling' —Eithne Farry, Daily Mail; 'Accomplished' —iPaper; 'Smyth's evocation of place and nature [...] is imbued with a compelling sense of closely observed realism' —Alexander Larman, Literary Review; 'The bleakness of the coast, the mist, the shifting nature of the sands all speak of contingency, brutality, deception. [...] The period detail and the sensibilities and prejudices of the time are portrayed with great deftness' —Alice Jolly, TLS

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Book SynopsisIn this bittersweet and hauntingly surreal tale, a couple finds the distance between them mirrored in a strange epidemic sweeping the globe. Little by little, each victim becomes transparent, their heart beating behind a visible rib cage, an intricate network of nerves left hanging in mid-air. Finally, the victims disappear entirely, never to be seen again.Trade Review'If the population of the world had vanished while I was reading Nial Giacomelli’s beautifully observed novella, I’m not sure I would have noticed. It’s that good' —Christopher Stanley, author of 'The Forest is Hungry'; The narrative drive is perfectly pitched, conveying an urgency that carries us irresistibly along while at the same time fearlessly confronting and challenging us' —Dr Meredith Miller, literary critic and author of 'Little Wrecks'

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Book SynopsisCensored in Latvia until 2003 Translated by Jayde Will. Originally written in 1967 and not released in its uncensored form until 2003, Bels’s infamous novel, Insomnia, has become a classic of Cold War writing and continues to exert a major influence over Latvian literature. The story is filtered through the thoughts, emotions and fantasies of the main character, a man of detachment who is content to observe his fellow tenants and the wider world around him from the tired luxury of his apartment and daily routines. When a young woman, fleeing some unknown threat and in desperate need of help, comes into his orbit, he’s forced out of this inertia and into the active role of protector. There begins a quest which, for both of them, has the power to jolt them into a new way of being and living. This edition contains the official transcripts of the investigative reports regarding the banning of the book, as well as a statement by Bels himself. Translated from the Latvian by Jayde Will. Insomnia is part of the Parthian Baltic project which was launched on time for the London Book Fair 2018. The poetry collections were launched at the Wheatsheaf Parthian Poetry Festival in April 2018.

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Book SynopsisDebut novel from Rachel Trezise, winner of the Orange Futures Prize and the Dylan Thomas Prize. The story of a brutal childhood in the Welsh Valleys. Rebecca is trying to grow up fast but the whole world’s against her. She falls in love, gets drunk and takes drugs. There are things she needs to forget. But when writing and books take hold of her life she starts to come up from the bottom.

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Book Synopsis`Superbly accomplished... Hughes' prose is startling and luminous' FINANCIAL TIMES`Beautifully nuanced and utterly touching'THE DAILY MAILBeside a lake in the northern Canadian wilderness, fifteen-year-old Zachary Tayler lives a lonely and isolated life with his father. His only neighbours are a leech trapper, an eccentric millionaire, and an expert in snow. But then one summer the enigmatic and shape-shifting Eva Spiller arrives in search of the remains of her parents and together they embark on a strange and disconcerting journey of discovery. Nothing at Sitting Down Lake is quite as it seems. The forest hides ruins and mysteries; the past can never be fully understood. And as Zach and Eva make their way through this haunted landscape, they move ever closer towards an acceptance of what in the end is lost and what can truly be found.In his fourth novel, award-winning author Tristan Hughes returns to the landscape of his youth in this vivid and poetic coming-of-age story about death, life, and the changes they bring. Set against the harsh, unforgiving beauty of the forests of northern Ontario, Hummingbird unravels a moving tale of loss, absence and redemption.Trade Review`Superbly accomplished... Hughes' prose is startling and luminous' FINANCIAL TIMES `Beautifully nuanced and utterly touching'THE DAILY MAIL

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE SALTIRE SOCIETY FIRST BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2017 "A profoundly affecting, intellectually challenging and beautifully written fable ... a marvellous piece of work." - Stuart Kelly, Scotsman. Goblin is an oddball and an outcast. But she's also a dreamer, a bewitching raconteur, a tomboy adventurer whose spirit can never be crushed. Running feral in World War II London, Goblin witnesses the carnage of the Blitz and sees things that can never be unseen...but can be suppressed. She finds comfort in her beloved animal companions and lives on her wits with friends real and imagined, exploring her own fantastical world of Lizard Kings and Martians and joining the circus. In 2011, London is burning once again, and an elderly Goblin reluctantly returns to the city. Amidst the chaos of the riots, she must dig up the events of her childhood in search of a harrowing truth. But where lies truth after a lifetime of finding solace in an extraordinary imagination, where the distinction between illusion and reality has possibly been lost forever?Trade Review"Terrific ... moving. It is a celebration of freakery... a meditation on trauma and loss and abandonment ... which, somehow, is never bleak. Goblin brims throughout with a kind of reckless joy." Peter Ross, Guardian; "A standout debut...sophisticated." Nick Barley, Herald, Books of the Year 2017; "In my opinion the best debut fiction by a Scottish author since 2012... A profoundly affecting, intellectually challenging and beautifully written fable ... a marvellous piece of work." Stuart Kelly, Scotsman. "Enthralling... a captivating debut... Dundas presents us with an iconic protagonist: a powerful imaginative force who looks beyond the facade of 20th Century Britain and sees a fairy tale of lizard kings and dolls with shrews' heads." Alastair Mabbott, Herald. "A captivating and capricious debut that explores with a deft hand the `creature world' we all carry somewhere inside." Mary Paulson Ellis; "Confounds your expectations and enchants your sensibilities... an indelible and haunting novel." Alistair Braidwood, Scots Whay Hae; "Ever Dundas has a consummate skill with language and her words can so readily conjure feelings of both joy and sadness. It is astonishing that a novel this accomplished should be a debut." Mary Pickens, Kindle Delight blog; "A love letter to the outcasts, rebels and underdogs ... a dazzling narrative ... Unflinching, raw and diamond bright." Megan Kenny, Disclaimer Magazine

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Book SynopsisThe follow-up to The Walrus Mutterer, longlisted for the Highland Book Prize, 2018. Northern Britain, Iron Age. Pytheas of Massalia, the famed Greek explorer, roves the icy northern lands of Celtic Britain and beyond, in search of amber and other precious goods. He also craves another encounter with Rian, the slave he fell in love with during a previous voyage and who still haunts him. But Rian has other ideas. She has no desire to see Pytheas, and she won't give up her freedom without a fight. As Pytheas navigates a world of plundered riches, feuding warlords and ancient curses, will he succeed in finding what he set out for? In the second volume of this extraordinary, imaginative trilogy, Mandy Haggith takes us back to prehistoric times for an epic saga ranging from the subarctic to the Mediterranean. The Amber Seeker revisits the unforgettable cast of characters we met in The Walrus Mutterer, weaving another visceral tale of loss, longing and revenge in 320 BC.Trade Review"Beautifully written, this novel is a moving and at times, shocking confession of a man tormented by love, loss, guilt and regret.the author's meticulous research shines from every page." Editor's choice, Historical Novels Review, August 2019; "Haggith writes fluently and, with the light of her research into this period leading her imagination, there is a whole new experience for the reader ... There is much to enjoy and learn in this novel [which] has a universal resonance and draws parallels with modern life." Tony Michaels, The Wee Review; "A compelling tale of endeavour, bravery and human frailty ... The story is visceral and visual, crafted with a lyrical prose." Dundee Courier, Scottish Book of the Week; "Brave and fascinating ... asks questions about the nature of truth, perspective, and the power of the narrator to influence where readers' sympathies lie." Alistair Braidwood, Scots Whay Hae; "An epic tale of adventure, The Amber Seeker is a gem of historical fiction, written with elegant language and telling an emotional story of seeking knowledge in the name of glory." Cultured Vultures; "Exquisite ... The Iron Age landscape comes to life with a colourful brilliance and the long sea voyages are by turns magical and terrifying." Undiscovered Scotland; "Marries great storytelling and convincing research ... Haggith invites the reader to explore a strange world and far-distant time, and the voyage on which she takes the reader is always interesting, sometimes enthralling." Allan Massie, The Scotsman; Praise for The Stone Stories trilogy and Mandy Haggith: "Haggith's woman's eye view of the Iron Age feels fresh and distinctive." Sunday Herald; "An ambitious and imaginative novel ... believable and compelling." Jane Bradley, Scotsman; "Vivid, memorable and utterly compelling." Helen Sedgwick; "A gripping, haunting, visceral novel... Lyrical and poetic prose, the author has created a convincing and entirely believable world... One of the best books I have read so far this year." Historical Novels Review (Editors' Choice); "An immersive evocation of ancient folklore and ritual, this novel's characterisation and fast pace make it a real page-turner which will keep you hooked." Scottish Field; "Utterly compelling...beautifully crafted...paints an exquisite pen picture." Undiscovered Scotland; "We see what the world was like...for the Iron Age peoples, particularly the women. ... Rian is a compelling heroine. Life for her is often harsh, uncompromising and dangerous, and yet she has insights and wisdom that we moderns may well envy." Margaret Elphinstone; "Compelling." Lucinda Byatt, Historical Novels Review; "Moving and quietly passionate." AL Kennedy; "Compelling and terrifying." Observer; "Passionate and subversive ... written with a poet's touch." Jason Donald; "Lyrical and vivid, written with a poet's eye for detail." Linda Gillard

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Book SynopsisFemke, her mother Trijn and her grandfather have very different ideas about how to run their family farm. Tensions between mother and daughter are growing; Femke wants to switch to sustainable growing principles, whilst her mother considers this an attack on tradition. To make matters worse, their home province of Groningen is experiencing a series of earthquakes caused by drilling for gas at a site close to their farm. While the cracks and splinters in their farmhouse increase, the authorities and the state-owned gas company refuse to offer the local farming community any help. In Shocked Earth, Saskia Goldschmidt investigates what it means to have your identity intensely entwined with your place of birth and your principles at odds with your closest kin. And how to keep standing when the world as you know it is slowly falling apart.Trade Review'Shocked Earth shows us the impact of natural disasters on people's lives. This is what literature can do.' Nieuwsweekend; 'Goldschmidt manages to portray the lives of farmers in great literary style, and with authentic vocabulary.' Het Parool; 'Goldschmidt writes eloquently... showing the way the North of the Netherlands is held captive by the gas sourcing business.' NRC; 'In order to be able to write Shocked Earth, Saskia Goldschmidt moved to a rural region ... worked on a dairy farm and spoke to its inhabitants. This effort pays off in this thorough novel with a lot of empathy, showing how the earthquakes ... forever change the lives of the people trying to keep this business going.' Dagblad van het Noorden; "Shocked Earth exquisitely captures the way our lives and identities are interwoven with the land we live on, and how its destruction will ultimately be our own. A powerful portrait of a family, an exploration of love and grief, it is perhaps most of all an essential call to action - I was both heartbroken and inspired." Helen Sedgwick; "A novel with great ambitions, which remains credible." Faithful; "Last weekend I read the book in one breath. How little did I know about the problems and life in the Groningen countryside ... I will definitely recommend this beautiful novel!" Ria van Halem, bookseller Boekaa Verkaaik

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Book SynopsisOn a hot July day, Lindsay Mathieson, confident, carefree and thirteen years old, walks up the beach where she has played all her life, around the rocks and out of sight. She does not come back. More than thirty years later, her younger brothers and cousins are still dealing with the fallout from that terrible summer.

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Book SynopsisHavana's Chinatown is not his usual beat, but when Conde is asked to take a murder case by the sultry, perfectly proportioned Police Lieutenant Patricia Chion, a frequent object of his nightly fantasies, he can’t resist. Pedro Cuang is found hanging naked from a beam in the ceiling of his dingy room. One of his fingers has been cut off, and the outline of two arrows was carved with a knife on his chest. Was this a ritual Santería killing or a just a sordid settling of accounts in a world of drug trafficking beginning to infiltrate Cuba in the 1980s? Soon Conde discovers unexpected connections, secret businesses and a history of misfortune, uprooting and loneliness that affected many immigrant families from China. The Barrio Chino was once one of the largest Chinatowns in the West. Now it feels like a ghetto of uprooted families, with its derelict cemetery and boarded-up shops. The story is soaked in atmosphere: African spells cast by babalao sorcerers, deliciously smoke-filled bars, deep friendships, and beautiful women. Especially the exotic Afro-Chinese Patricia Chion.Trade Review“Few contemporary writers understand noir as well as Padura, and far fewer convey Cuba with such grit and sensuality”. Playboy; “A textured treat for those who like detective fiction served long and lazy, with a double shot of rum.” Financial Times

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Book SynopsisIt is just the beginning of a convulsed week, where danger lurks behind army headquarters, down sordid streets, and in the frightening Presidium of the Criminal Police. Bora is unexpectedly ordered by SS General Arthur Nebe, head of Kripo, to investigate the murder of a dazzling showman and clairvoyant, a major star since the days of the Weimar Republic. Bora’s inquiry, supported by police inspector and former S.A member Florian Grimm, resurrects memories of the excessive and brilliant world of Jazz Age cabarets and locales. Around them, in the oppressive summer heat, constant allied bombing, war-weary Berlin teems with refugees and nearly a million foreign labourers. Soon enough the perceptive Bora realizes to his dismay that there is much more at stake than murder in a paranoid city where everyone suspects everyone, and where insistent rumours whisper about a conspiracy aimed at the very heart of the Nazi hierarchy. And then there is charming Emmy Pletsch, who works for Stauffenberg: could she be a key to understanding? Trying to solve the murder of the Weimar Prophet takes Martin Bora into the deadly whirlwind of an anguishing moral dilemma, as a German soldier and as a man. The 20 July plot and its dramatic implications as never told before.

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Book SynopsisWhen strangers take part in a series of group suicides, everything suggests that a cult is to blame. How do you stop a cult when nobody knows they are a member? ***Telegraph Book of the Year*** ***Longlisted for Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award*** ***Longlisted for Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award 2020*** 'Heavy gusts of bedsit nihilism usher in this strange mystery ... weirdly page-turning' Sunday Times 'Laying bare our 21st-century weaknesses and dilemmas, Carver has created a highly original state-of-the-nation novel' Literary Review 'Arguably the most original crime novel published this year' Independent _________________ Nine suicides One Cult No leader Nine people arrive one night on Chelsea Bridge. They've never met. But at the same time, they run, and leap to their deaths. Each of them received a letter in the post that morning, a pre-written suicide note, and a page containing only four words: Nothing important happened today. That is how they knew they had been chosen to become a part of the People Of Choice: A mysterious suicide cult whose members have no knowledge of one another. Thirty-two people on that train witness the event. Two of them will be next. By the morning, People Of Choice are appearing around the globe; it becomes a movement. A social media page that has lain dormant for four years suddenly has thousands of followers. The police are under pressure to find a link between the cult members, to locate a leader that does not seem to exist. How do you stop a cult when nobody knows they are a member? _________________ 'Cements Carver as one of the most exciting authors in Britain. After this, he'll have his own cult following' Daily Express 'At once fantastical and appallingly plausible ... this mesmeric novel paints a thought-provoking if depressing picture of modern life' Guardian 'This book is most memorable for its unrepentant darkness...' Telegraph 'Unlike anything else you'll read this year' Heat 'Utterly mesmerising...' Crime MonthlyTrade Review'It's unusual, it is original, and it is a brilliant read' * Crime Fiction Lover * 'Beautifully written, smart, dark and disturbing - and so original. The whole thing feels like a shot of adrenaline... -- Alex North 'Dark and disturbing, Carver goes from strength to strength' -- S.J. Watson 'A gloriously melancholy, twisted and twisty, with so much to say on modern lives it'll stay with me for a very long time' -- Tom Wood 'A literary thriller with the darkest storyline and the most ingenious execution I've ever read...' -- SJI Holliday 'Will Carver has taken the rules of a serial killer novel and ignored every single one of them ... this book will mess with your head' -- Michael Wood 'Thrilling and completely original ... deserves to become an instant classic' -- Kevin Wignall 'A taut, highly original novel from one of the most under-rated crime writers out there' -- Simon Kernick 'I've never read such an original, stunning, clever, literary thriller. I'm absolutely blown away' -- Sarah Pinborough

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Book SynopsisNew novel from Wole Soyinka Prize-winning author of Everything Good Will Come.

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Book SynopsisA journey of self-discovery for an odd couple of 60-somethings: childhood sweethearts reunited in later life.

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Book SynopsisIt is 1943, and a month into their service as Land Girls, Bee, Anne and Pauline are dispatched to a remote farm in rural Scotland. Here they are introduced to the realities of 'lending a hand on the land', as back-breaking work and inhospitable weather mean they struggle to keep their spirits high. Soon one of the girls falters, and Bee and Pauline receive a new posting to a Northumberland dairy farm. Detailing their friendship, daily struggles and romantic intrigues with a lightness of touch, Barbara Whitton's autobiographical novel paints a sometimes funny, sometimes bleak picture of time spent in the Women's Land Army during the Second World War.Trade Review"Terrific." * Daily Mail (UK) *“Charming and evocative. . . . It offers a light-hearted snapshot into [Whitton’s] experiences, including the friendships and romances, as the story follows three young and inexperienced Land Girls. The author’s evident enjoyment of this period in her life shines through but those less rosy aspects are also confronted, including the back-breaking nature of the work and the sexism many women faced as they took on a variety of roles, traditionally performed by men." * Militaria & History *"Witty, warm and hugely endearing, Barbara Whitton's Green Hands is full of engaging characters, burgeoning friendships and pure hard-graft. A lovely novel for anyone interested in wartime Britain, it leaves the reader with renewed admiration for the indefatigable work of the Women's Land Army." -- AJ Pearce, author of Dear Mrs Bird"Tales from the home front are always more authentic when written from personal experience, as is the case here. Barbara Whitton evokes the highs and lows, joys and agonies of being a Land Girl in the Second World War." -- Julie Summers, author of Jambusters

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Book SynopsisA new edition of Cecil Lewis’s 1944 aviation classic. Over the course of a single night in 1942, the crew members of a Wellington bomber reflect on the paths of their own lives as they embark on a fateful mission deep in the heart of Nazi Germany. Based on his own experience as a World War I fighter ace, Cecil Lewis’s stunning novel examines the life of each man, rendering a moving account of each as not merely a nameless crew member, but as an individual with a life lived: “A life precious to some, or one. . . . These men with dreams and hopes and plans of things to come.” This new edition of the 1944 classic includes a new introduction from an Imperial War Museums historian that puts the novel in historical context and shines a light on this vital and sometimes contested aspect of Britain’s involvement in World War II.Trade Review"Moving, interesting and of great literary value." -- Louis de Bernières

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Book SynopsisMr Bunting at War sheds a light on the wartime experiences of the quiet everyman' and his family on the British Home Front, during the Battle of Britain and beyond.

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Book SynopsisHere We F**king Go (HWFG) is the much-anticipated follow up to Chris McQueer s hilarious, award-winning debut short story collection Hings. In HWFG... Your fave Sammy gets a job and Angie goes to Craig Tara. Plans are made to kick the f*ck out of Kim Jong-Un. You ll find answers to the big questions in life: What happens when we die? What does Brexit actually mean? Why are moths terrifying? What are ghosts like to live with? It s just a load more short stories n that. hwfg x

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Book SynopsisWe like Jeff Goldblum. You like Jeff Goldblum. Helen McClory really likes Jeff Goldblum. The Goldblum Variations is a collection of flash fiction, stories and games on the one and only Jeff Goldblum as he, and alternate versions of himself, travels through the known (and unknown) universe in a mighty celebration of weird and wonderful Goldbluminess. Maybe he's cooking, maybe he's wearing a nice jumper, maybe he's reading this very book. The possibilities are endless. Treat yourself, because all that glitters is Goldblum.Trade ReviewMcClory turns in a crushingly excellent display of metatextual prowess that also manages to be uplifting and fun. The Goldblum Variations is the sweetest kind of adventure. - Pop Matters; Seriously, take a gamble on this book. It is a befitting celebration of a remarkable actor via a thought-provoking odyssey of make-believe from one of the most remarkable emerging literary talents the UK has to offer. - The Quietus

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Book SynopsisBeginning with a story of an ex sex-worker drifting through a rural town in South America, and ending with a young woman's sinister wedding night, Nash writes across the complications of working class women, rendering their desires with visceral prose and psychologically dissecting the fundamental root that threads her work: craving and the conflicts within.Trade Review"Nudes is a collection that feels multigenerational. It crawls across the soggy cigarette ash carpets of single wide America to upscale apartments and the discolored bathtubs of suicide motels. Elle Nash shows the ugly venal addictions of a post-last call society." Jake Blackwood (Twitter)

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Book SynopsisDoppelganger consists of two stories that skillfully revisit the question of "doubles" (famously explored by Stevenson, Dostoyevsky and others), and how an individual is perpetually caught between their own beliefs and those imposed on them by society. `Arthur and Isabella' is a story of the relationship between two elderly people who meet on New Year's Eve - a romantic encounter which turns into a grotesque portrayal of the loneliness of old age. The second story `Pupi' - a strange mirror of the first - centres on the life of a man who ends up on the streets and associates only with street-sellers the rhinoceroses in the zoo. Together these tales crate the highly original atmosphere that Drndic t is famous for in all her works.Trade Review"The capacity to see the bricolage of a reticent, morally compromised, elegiac past-and, more unsettlingly, how that past might see us-is a central feature of the work of the Croatian writer Dasa Drndic." Dustin Illingworth, Paris Review; `Drndic is relentless; her righteousness is passionate. Human anguish seeps from the pages, yet her writing proves unexpectedly exhilarating.'m Eileen Battersby, LA Review of Books; `Dasa Drndic is a writer who digs tunnels and refuses to make compromises; her prose attracts the same uncompromising readers.' Zdravko Zima, Novi List

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Book SynopsisThe protagonist in Dogs and Others is the first openly lesbian character in modern Serbian literature, but she is also so much more than that, as she encapsulates the zeitgeist of her generation. Coming of age in 1970s Belgrade, then the capital city of thriving, socialist Yugoslavia, we follow Lida and the bohemian life she leads, made more complicated by the trials and tribulations of her eccentric family. The whole novel breathes with a raw sensibility so aptly captured in the voice of the heroine - a striking, rebellious, overtly feminist and somewhat neurotic young woman.Trade ReviewBiljana Jovanovic came into the Serbian literary scene as a new phenomenon. . Such girls in literature bring with them spite, devastating erotica, a new language, and new rules, especially when the old rules break down painfully..." Svetlana Slapsak, ; ". . . a rich amalgam of unvarnished bohemian life in socialist Belgrade, narrative experimentation, a sensitive but provocative depiction of family life in the shadow of old age, disability, and `madness'. . . " WORDS without BORDERS; "In her novel Dogs & Others, Biljana Jovanovic went a step further in breaking down all taboos regarding women's sexuality in Serbian literature." LOM (Serbian publisher)

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Book SynopsisWild Woman is an anti-love story, set against a background of economic hardship. Told through the undiluted language of thought and mania, the twists and turns of internal dialogue are brought alive by a narrator determined to find her true voice. It is a warning against letting life slip through one’s fingers and a call for personal liberation and authenticity.Wild Woman is set in 1970s Croatia, interchanging between the capital, Zagreb, and the seaside towns of Rijeka and Pula on the Adriatic coast. This is a story about an everywoman from a poor family, with a retied invalid father and a mother who always protects the interests of men. The story begins with a love affair between two students of literature, who bond through shared experiences and rush into the romantic dream of marriage. However, what at first seems idyllic to a young woman in love soon becomes a nightmare as she finds herself the victim of an unscrupulous, lazy womanizer whom she must support financially and who often disappears without explanation, leaving her alone in unfamiliar surroundings. To free herself from him, she must free herself from the “prisons” imposed on her by her family, her community and tradition. She must go wild.

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