Author:Selahattin Demirtas
A vital and eloquent portrait of modern Turkey drawn from the lives of its ordinary citizens
Written in prison, the stories in Dawn offer an unfamiliar glimpse of Turkey and the Middle East. They capture the experiences of the people behind the headlines, the voices that so often go unheard.
The young cleaning woman whose bus to work gets caught in a violent protest; the little girl fleeing across the Mediterranean from Syria with her mother; the illegal underage workers building jails; the victim of an ‘honour killing’. Tragedy collides vividly with sharp humour and political satire as inmates have their letters vetted by committee and a bus driver tricks a young idealist.
The first fiction from the imprisoned progressive politician, former leader of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party and presidential candidate Selahattin Demirtas, this collection is essential reading. With warmth, wit and brutal insight, he illuminates everyday existence in Turkey and brings his characters to startling life.
[A] critical voice… Demirtas writes poignantly about the lives of ordinary people and his stories are memorable for the unvarnished simplicity of his prose… The fact that…[Demirtas] continue[s] to write, despite their confinement, is some measure of their courage and the indomitability of the human spirit
—— Lucy Popescu , Times Literary SupplementFull of sharp humour, warmth and wit
—— Sarah Shaffi , PhoenixSelahattin Demirtas is Turkey's most famous political prisoner. He is also that rarest of beasts, a liberal, a democrat and a feminist in a part of the world that is more frequently associated with coercion and intimidation. By turns playful, didactic and full of love for his native Kurdistan, Dawn is a ray of light in the penumbra of today's Middle East
—— Christopher de Bellaigue, author of The Islamic EnlightenmentMarvelous and deeply affecting, the imprisoned Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtas brings to life the great heart and spirit of ordinary Kurdish people. His stories are horrific yet hopeful, heart-wrenching yet humorous, and offer much-needed insight into what everyday life is like in 21st-century Turkey
—— Christiane Bird, author of A Thousand Sighs, A Thousand Revolts: Journeys in KurdistanSelahattin Demirtas’ short stories are beautiful and full of surprises, especially in their bold portrayal of women. A new addition to Turkey’s tragic canon of literature written in prison
—— Jennifer Clement, author of Gun Love and President of PEN InternationalImprisoned Kurdish lawyer and progressive politician Demirtas delivers a closely observed series of portraits of lives oppressed… A welcome debut collection. One hopes for more—and that Demirtas will not be silenced by his captors
—— Kirkus[Demirtas’] visceral tales expose unfathomable darkness with an unshowy, fable-like straightforwardness as the book nonetheless subtly arcs toward hope… Already a publishing sensation with 200,000 copies sold in Turkey alone, Demirtas' empathic collection shines the light that its title promises
—— BooklistFunny and heart-rending, shocking and amusing
—— Sarah Jessica Parker , Sunday TelegraphRussell exposes the central core of the strange in the familiar landmarks of American history. Incandescent…horror always cohabits with humor...A superb collection
—— Maureen Corrigan , Wall Street Journalmagic...The scope of Russell's imagine is hard to conceive – you'll need to read to believe.
—— IndependentA feast of invention and a fun house of surprising wisdom, Orange World contains a ghost-ship lodge, tourist trade in a post-apocalyptic drowned city, a tornado farm, a local succubus. Karen Russell moves from the farcical to the forbidden with tender conviction. Don't miss this book of marvels
—— Louise ErdrichI kept Hawthorne in mind while reading Russell's astonishing new stories... Russell seems the most natural storyteller alive, so completely does she give herself to premises that might undo a lesser writer
—— New York Review of BooksAnother set of masterpieces in miniature…Russell’s language rockets off the page…one of our most entrancing storytellers
—— VogueAmidst the leading pack of talents Karen Russell writes the most like she’s on fire, as in: this close to revelations. Orange World is her best collection yet. Her imagination’s baroque syntax has been planed down to the absolute essentials, allowing the power of her vision to speak for itself...This is prophetic work written with clarifying fury
—— John Freeman , Lit HubMarvelous... Startlingly inventive stories which confirm Russell's status as master of the slipstream
—— San Francisco ChronicleBrilliant... Stunning... Her imagination is boundless... Russell's last book, Vampires in the Lemon Grove was far and away one of the best books of 2013, and Orange World proves that the author has only gotten better... Russell is one of the most original American authors working today. She's also one of the best. Orange World is a thing of beauty, a stunning collection from one of the most brilliant literary minds of her generation
—— NPREight crisp stories that will leave longtime fans hungry for more. Since her debut more than a decade ago, Russell has exhibited a commitment to turning recognizable worlds on their heads in prose so rich that sentences almost burst at the seams. Her third collection is no exception, and its subjects—forgotten pockets of violent American history, climate-related apocalypse, the trials of motherhood—feel fresh and urgent in her care...A momentous feat of storytelling in an already illustrious career
—— Kirkus, starred reviewIngenious, reality-warping, darkly funny, and exquisitely composed story collection rooted in myth and horror... Russell writes with mischievous clarity, wit, and conviction, grounding the most bizarre situations in the ordinary
—— BooklistLyrical and full of human situations acutely observed.
—— Choice magazine[A] remarkable collection of short stories exploring fragile ties between passion, love, family.
—— Western Morning NewsThis collection is the finest swan song of a writer full of sensitivity, talent and an immense grasp of the complexity of human nature.
—— The Opinionated ReaderA lasting testament to Dunmore’s wisdom, heart and elegant way with words.
—— CultureflyMoments of startling insight into the hidden – and often uncomfortable – truths underneath modern relationships… there are some stellar moments of pithy clarity: In 'Scarred,' upon summoning a way to cheat desire, the protagonist muses, ‘I had everything that could be wanted. I invented new needs just to satisfy.’ This is a promising debut.
—— Publishers WeeklyRoupenian’s tales from the frontline of modern relationships are perfect for an alternative Valentine’s Day display.
—— BooksellerA collection of short stories which cover the same murky waters of attraction as "Cat Person".
—— Olivia Ovenden , Harper's Bazaar, The books we can't wait to read in 2019There is always some anxiety following such a short, steep rise to recognition, but in this collection Roupenian lives up to those high expectations. The stories are wonderfully varied in execution, from realist to surreal, staying fresh while circling one primary concern: how men and women relate to one another, and how often that relationship can go wrong.
—— Vanity Fair[A] sharp, powerful and uncomfortable debut collection of stories… [Roupenian] is always in narrative control.
—— Kathryn Maris , Times Literary SupplementAbrasive, painfully aware accounts of relationships in turmoil… You know you want this collection.
—— Sarah Gilmartin , Irish TimesYou Know You Want This seems to touch on conversations that the country has yet to have — often using horror and magical realism to illuminate the darker corners of our world.
—— Elisabeth Garber-Paul , Rolling StoneIn Look at Your Game, Girl and The Boy in the Pool, naïve female desire is so brilliantly and lushly evoked… [Biter] shows a flair for satire and comic timing… I look forward to Roupenian’s next book.
—— Nicole Flattery , Guardian WeeklyThe best fiction leaves us thinking about it long after turning the last page, and with [Cat Person], author Kristen Roupenian established herself as a writer to watch. Her short-story collection, You Know You Want This, includes that story and others, all of which will have you talking about them long after finishing.
—— PopSugarIn her highly anticipated debut collection, the author behind the viral Cat Person story offers up a host of strange, fascinating, and downright delightful narratives you won't be able to stop talking about. Spanning a range of genres and topics, it is equal parts dark, uncomfortable, and funny.
—— BustleReaders who are looking for more uncomfortably realistic renderings of awkward romantic encounters won’t be disappointed, but this collection is so much more than that, offering an array of biting (sometimes literally!) looks at the ways our most hidden perversions manifest in our lives. It’s a razor-sharp, often ruthless, never less than relentless examination of the way we are now. Scary, right? But you know you want it.
—— NYLON[You Know You Want This captures] the torturous and complicated justifications for untoward behaviour in the search for closeness and connection.
—— Eithne Farry , Daily MailWhat unites the collection is less her [Roupenian’s] gender politics than her interest in the way fantasies become distorted, disappointing, even dangerous when they approach reality… narrative twist[s] changes the direction of a story and leads it somewhere new. Roupenian’s desire to have her moral and reject it too could be said to put a twist on the twist.
—— Lauren Oyler , London Review of BooksRoupenian remains rooted in realism, she gives pause by exposing the sinister side of sexuality, and one looks forward to seeing what she might accomplish with the novel form.
—— Mia Levitin , Financial TimesKristen Roupenian's debut short stories fulfil all expectations… she infuses mundane reality with a thrilling layer of menace.
—— Emily Rhodes , SpectatorOne of the most anticipated story collections of the year.
—— ElleViolence, cruelty or misunderstanding are never far away in these 12 stories, which are by turns, unsettling, ruthless and often funny.
—— UK Press SyndicationWalker’s laconic, Hemingway-esque prose style perfectly complements his low-key approach to his material: the matter-of-fact tone in which he recalls his most horrific experiences in Iraq makes them seem all the more horrible. It works equally well with deadpan humour.
—— Jake Kerridge , Sunday TimesRoupenian is a wizard of provocative, psychological fiction, exploring the dark side of the human psyche. Each of her short stories is terrifyingly relatable, making the reader fear something much more relevant than more supernatural horror stories.
—— The MancunionA fascinating and repugnant series of stories, all tremendous examples of what this unsung hero of a literary form can do.
—— Culture CallingRoupenian’s wildly discomfiting new collection, You Know You Want This… is often wonderfully, if grotesquely, physical… This book isn’t bedtime reading.
—— Ruth Franklin , New York Review of BooksThese are stories that make you feel fascinated but repelled, scared but delighted, revolted but aroused.
—— GlamourYou Know You Want This is an alarming but compelling book. Roupenian’s short stories, weaving together science fiction, confession and fantasy, are like infections spreading across the senses, blocking out everything except the compulsion to read on… Roupenian achieves something few other writers have: providing a balanced reflection on a very difficult subject.
—— Ella Whelan , SpikedA new collection of stories that explores the complex - and often darkly funny - connections between gender, sex, and power across genres.
—— The Week, *Summer reads of 2019*