Ali Smith is a writer celebrated for her playful and experimental approach to language and form. Her stories often delve into themes of identity, memory, and the passage of time, fearlessly disrupting traditional narrative structures. Smith possesses a unique ability to weave contemporary events with historical references, creating works that feel both relevant and timeless. Her writing is recognized for its poetic quality, intelligence, and profound understanding of the human experience.
This anthology features original short stories from renowned international authors, each inspired by the surreal and thought-provoking themes of Franz Kafka's work. The collection explores existential dilemmas, absurdity, and the complexities of human experience, showcasing diverse voices that reflect Kafka's influence while offering fresh perspectives. Readers can expect a rich tapestry of narratives that challenge conventional storytelling and delve into the depths of the human psyche.
This novel marks the beginning of a pair of interconnected stories by acclaimed author Ali Smith, known for her literary accolades including the Booker Prize shortlist. It promises to explore themes of time, identity, and the human experience, showcasing Smith's distinctive narrative style and innovative storytelling. Readers can expect a thought-provoking journey that intertwines characters and their lives in unexpected ways, reflecting contemporary issues and the complexity of relationships.
A collection of brand-new short stories written by prize-winning, bestselling writers and inspired by Kafka - published to commemorate the centenary of his death Chosen as a 2024 highlight in the Guardian, the Financial Times, the Daily Mail, New Statesman, Esquire and the New European Franz Kafka is widely regarded as one of the great geniuses of twentieth-century literature. What happens when some of the most original literary minds of today take an idea, a mood or a line from his work and use it to spark something new?From a future society who ask their AI servants to construct a giant tower to reach God; to a flat hunt that descends into a comically absurd bureaucratic nightmare; to a population experiencing a wave of unbearable, contagious panic attacks, these ten specially commissioned stories are by turns mind-bending, funny, unsettling and haunting. Inspired by the visionary imagination of a writer working one hundred years ago, they speak powerfully to the strangeness of being alive today.
A collection of brand-new short stories written by major international writers and inspired by Kafka - to commemorate one hundred years since his death
'A story is never an answer. A story is always a question.' Here we are in extraordinary times. Is this history? What happens when we cease to trust governments, the media, each other? What have we lost? What stays with us? What does it take to unlock our future? Following her astonishing quartet of Seasonal novels, Ali Smith again lights a way for us through the nightmarish now, in a vital celebration of companionship in all its forms. 'Every hello, like every voice, holds its story ready, waiting.'
"This story of three men's work helping traumatized kids in one of America's most underserved cities reveals how mindfulness tools can help children and communities not only survive but thrive"-- Provided by publisher
In the present, Sacha knows the world's in trouble. Her brother Robert just is trouble. Their mother and father are having trouble. Meanwhile the world's in meltdown - and the real meltdown hasn't even started yet. In the past, a lovely summer. A different brother and sister know they're living on borrowed time. This is a story about people on the brink of change. They're family, but they think they're strangers. So- where does family begin? And what do people who think they've got nothing in common have in common? Summer.
SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER A once-in-a-generation series, Ali Smith's Seasonal Quartet is a tour-de-force about love, time, art, politics, and how we live now. 'Her best yet, a dazzling hymn to hope, uniting the past and present with a chorus of voices' Observer What unites Katherine Mansfield, Charlie Chaplin, Shakespeare, Rilke, Beethoven, Brexit, the present, the past, the north, the south, the east, the west, a man mourning lost times, a woman trapped in modern times? Spring. The great connective. With an eye to the migrancy of story over time, and riffing on Pericles, one of Shakespeare's most resistant and rollicking works, Ali Smith tells the impossible tale of an impossible time. In a time of walls and lockdown Smith opens the door. The time we're living in is changing nature. Will it change the nature of story? Hope springs eternal. Discover all four instalments: Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer. Ali Smith's new novel, Companion piece, is available now. ***** 'An astonishing accomplishment and a book for all seasons' Independent 'Smith is a masterful storyteller . . . Savour it' Evening Standard 'Infectious in its energy and warmth' Daily Telegraph
A celebration of the greatest kind of shop in the world, by an award-winning cast of writers including Ali Smith, Michael Dirda, Elif Shafak and Daniel Kehlmann. A cabinet of curiosities, a time machine, a treasure trove - we love bookshops because they possess a unique kind of magic. In Browse, Henry Hitchings asks fifteen writers from around the world to reveal their favourite bookshops, each conjuring a specific time and place. These inquisitive, enchanting pieces are a collective celebration of bookshops - for anyone who has ever fallen under their spell. Contributors include Alaa Al Aswany, Stefano Benni, Michael Dirda, Daniel Kehlmann, Andrey Kurkov, Yiyun Li, Pankaj Mishra, Dorthe Nors, Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor, Elif Shafak, Ian Sansom, Iain Sinclair, Ali Smith, Saša Stanišic, and Juan Gabriel Vásquez. A dazzling collection of original essays about the bookshop by fifteen bestselling international authors.