The Centre

Fantastic . . . This Black Mirror take on the world of language opens up questions of cultural appropriation, the power of language, memory and privilege . . . Siddiqi’s easy storytelling and her heroine Anisa’s sweet narrative voice slip down like summer rosé. Siddiqi has the gift of maintaining propulsion and mystery, while keeping things human and realistic . . . compelling . . . wonderful * The Observer *
An absolutely stunning and unique novel . . . A book that is not only thrilling but deeply thought provoking, a combination that is truly rare -- Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl
Creepy, provocative and wildly entertaining . . . I was gripped -- Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters
This thrillingly ambitious literary chiller . . . balances the light with the profound, combining humour and horror as it takes on issues of power and privilege, class, identity, assimilation and more. * Guardian *
Ingenious . . . This is a book whose many delights and horrors are unlikely to be lost in translation * New York Times *
The Centre is a banger! . . . A book that feels both cheery and terrifying, The Centre draws you in with a gentle hand until it throws the mallet down in the last thirty pages. A terrific meditation on language, diaspora, alienation, and culture, it will stay with you long after you read -- Chelsea G Summers, author of A Certain Hunger
Propulsive and profound.I was gripped by the mystery haunting the core of the book — and equally gripped by Siddiqi’s exploration of the power of language . . . a debut of dazzling wit and insight -- Helen Phillips, author of The Need
A twisting mystery and nuanced exploration of identity and assimilation, The Centre cuts deep . . . A compelling, witty, sometimes gruesome tale of how we use language to connect and to sever, appropriate and explore -- Julia Fine, author of Maddalena and the Dark and The Upstairs House
I am obsessed with this book and you will be too! A brilliant meditation on language and translation and the most gripping novel I've read in forever . . . I'm in awe -- Jennifer Croft, author of Homesick
As haunting as it is tempting; this book devoured me back -- Sarah Gailey, author of Just Like Home and Eat the Rich
A gripping, surreal mystery about language, identity, and greed. The Centre explores impossible success at an equally impossible price—and the difference between merely paying for something and truly understanding its dark cost -- Peng Shepherd, bestselling author of The Cartographers
The most fascinating debut I've read in years—enigmatic, biting, absurd, and right when you think you've got it figured out, utterly horrifying -- Daniel Kraus, New York Times bestselling author of The Shape of Water (with Guillermo del Toro)
Incredible . . . it's creepy AF, in the best way possible. Highly recommend! -- Lamya H, author of Hijab Butch Blues
Filled with astute insights into life as a brown person in a predominantly white country . . . A fast-paced thriller with its finger firmly on the pulse of contemporary social discourse * Kirkus *
Manazir Siddiqi’s ambitious debut packs insightful observations about racism, classism, and colonialism into a dark mystery . . . a writer to watch * Publishers Weekly *
[An] inventive debut... The Centre informs the current social discourse by offering wry, shrewd insights into colonialism, appropriation and classism, resonant of Elaine Hsieh Chou’s Disorientation and RF Kuang’s Yellowface -- Rabeea Saleem, The Irish Times
Truly fascinating . . . a dialogue-rich drama with comic undertones and a creepy thriller nestled within * Shelf Awareness *
One of the most original books published this year * Eastern Eye, Best books of 2023 *
The novel explores friendship, purpose, and power * New Yorker, The Best Books of 2023 *