LESSONS IN LOVE AND OTHER CRIMES
by Elizabeth Chakrabarty
Description
A heart-breaking and hopeful debut novel inspired by the author’s own experiences of the most quotidian of crimes, race hate crimes.
Seamlessly integrates elements of creative non-fiction and crime fiction within a page-turning story of love, healing and hope.
Exploring queer love, loneliness and the insidious nature of hate, this is a compulsive read, bookended by personal essays from the author. Perfect for fans of Louise Doughty, Bernardine Evaristo, Claudia Rankine, and Sophie Ward.
Tesya has reasons to feel hopeful after leaving her last job, where she was subjected to a series of anonymous hate crimes. Now she is back home in London to start a new position, and has begun an exciting love affair with the enigmatic Holly. But this idyllic new start quickly sours. Tesya finds herself victimized again at work by an unknown assailant, who subjects her to an insidious, sustained race hate crime. As her paranoia mounts, Tesya finds herself yearning for the most elemental of desires: love, acceptance, and sanctuary. Her assailant, meanwhile, is recording his manifesto, and plotting his next steps.
More Information
Rights Information
World rights: The Indigo Press
Translation rights: The Marsh Agency
Film/tv rights: Craig Literary
Marketing Information
Shortlisted for Polari First Book Prize 2022
Longlisted for Desmond Elliott Prize 2022
Selected as a Top-Shelf title for promotion in the Trafalgar Square/ IPG Fall 2021 campaign to retailers and libraries in North America
Endorsements
“Fierce, contemporary and completely absorbing…a fresh and forensic novel asking ages-old questions – what makes a writer? What makes a lover? And pressing for our moment now – what makes a racist? Part thriller, part elegy to modern British live…Formally inventive and erotically charged, compassion and intelligence shine through every sentence Chakrabarty writes.” Preti Taneja, author of We That Are Young
“One of the most gripping and powerful books I´ve ever read; I feel so represented as queer, brown woman.” Nikita Gill, author of Wild Embers
'An important new voice for our troubled times. Vibrant and passionate storytelling.' Tessa McWatt, author of Shame on Me: An Anatomy of Race and Belonging
"Gripping and unnerving, a story about the relentlessness of racism." Catherine Mayer, author of Attack of the 50 Ft. Women: How Gender Equality Can Save the World
"A thoughtful exploration of everyday racist aggressions (both micro and more significant) — and the impact they can have on an individual's personal and professional life." Winnie M. Li, author of Dark Chapter
Reviews
“A MULTI-LAYERED AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING WORK.” I NEWS
“A story you won’t be able to get out of your head” Cosmopolitan
"Elizabeth Chakrabarty's heartfelt and addictive story is paramount considering the current climate. Her honest approach encourages audiences to discuss the topics unearthed in the book and despite, the awful crimes detailed in the novel, gives a sense of community." Bad Form Review
Author Biography
Elizabeth Chakrabarty is an interdisciplinary artist using creative and critical writing, besides performance, to explore themes of race, gender and sexuality. Her story Eurovision was short-listed for the Asian Writer Short Story Prize, published in Dividing Lines (Dahlia Publishing, 2017). Her critical writing appears in Critical Race Theory in England (Routledge, 2014), Race Ethnicity and Education, and Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance, articles emerging from her research funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council. She is a contributor to the anthology edited by Kirsty Gunn, Imagined Spaces, published in Summer 2020 (Saraband). She currently lives in London.
Craig Literary
Craig Literary, founded by Jessica Craig in 2016, is a full-service literary agency representing diverse writers of fiction, non-fiction, and children's books. The agency grows out of Jessica Craig's 20+ years of experience as a top foreign rights agent and on her record as an effective international champion of high quality authors, from established names to outstanding debuts, and across genres in fiction and non-fiction.
View all titlesBibliographic Information
- Publisher The Indigo Press
- Publication Date April 2021
- Orginal LanguageEnglish
- ISBN/Identifier 1911648225
- Publication Country or regionUnited Kingdom
- FormatPaperback
- Pages288
- ReadershipGeneral
- Publish StatusPublished
- Copyright Year2021
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