Second Place

From the author of the Outline trilogy, a fable of human destiny and decline, enacted in a closed system of intimate, fractured relationships.

a psychodrama that is both timeless and up-to-the-minute.' Guardian
'A classic, but with contemporary urgency thumping through it.' Claire-Louise Bennett
'A novel of deep insight and scarring honesty.' Independent

A woman invites a famed artist to the remote coastal landscape where she lives.

LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE
RECIPIENT OF THE PRIX FEMINA ÉTRANGER
SHORTLISTED FOR THE GOVERNER GENERAL'S AWARD

'The most singular book ... a psychodrama that is both timeless and up-to-the-minute.' Guardian
'A classic, but with contemporary urgency thumping through it.' Claire-Louise Bennett
'A novel of deep insight and scarring honesty.' Independent

A woman invites a famed artist to the remote coastal landscape where she lives. Drawn to his paintings, she believes his vision may penetrate the mystery at the centre of her life. But as a long, dry summer sets in, his provocative presence soon twists the patterns of her secluded household.