Elmet (Shortlisted For The Man Booker Prize 2017)

Description: SHORTLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2017 * Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2018

'A quiet explosion of a book, exquisite and unforgettable' The Economist 'A cleverly constructed rural Gothic fable . . . Elmet is a marvellous achievement' TLS 'Pastoral idyll, political expose, cosy family saga and horror tale, it reads like a traditional children's story that turns into a gangster film: Hansel and Gretel meets The Godfather' Sunday Times Daniel is heading north. He is looking for someone. The simplicity of his early life with Daddy and Cathy has turned menacing and fearful. They lived apart in the house that Daddy built for them in the woods with his bare hands. They foraged and hunted. Cathy was more like their father: fierce and full of simmering anger. Daniel was more like their mother: gentle and kind. Sometimes, their father disappeared, and would return with a rage in his eyes. But when he was at home, he was at peace. He told them that the little copse in Elmet was theirs alone. But that wasn't true. Local men, greedy and watchful, began to circle like vultures. All the while, the terrible violence in Daddy grew. Brutal and beautiful in equal measure, Elmet is a compelling portrayal of a family living on the fringes of contemporary society, as well as a gripping exploration of the disturbing actions people are capable of when pushed to their limits.

Review: The breakout debut was the surprise dark horse on the Man Booker shortlist this year. A restless, fiercely felt novel about the deep bonds within an outlaw family in rural Yorkshire, it combines a demanding lyrical intensity with passages of astonishing violence and marks out Mozley, not yet 30, as a writer of great promise * Metro, Books of the Year * A cracking read. Darkly lyrical and full of violence, Mozley's Yorkshire owes something to Ted Hughes, something to older, deeper folk tales and fables. She's a name to watch * Observer, Books of the Year * Fiona Mozley's remarkable debut looks at life on the margins of society . . . A darkly evocative tale that lingers in one's mind * Financial Times, Books of the Year * A magical debut novel . . . this dazzling debut feels steeped in a more primitive, violent past . . . in seductively poetic prose, the book shines a light on the toll of power wielded cruelly, as well as on a countering force: the extraordinary sustenance family devotion can provide * People Magazine, Book of the Week * Lyrical and mythic . . . a beguiling patchwork of influences held together by Mozley's distinct voice * New York Times * An amazingly brilliant debut novel . . . and a work of extraordinary Yorkshire grit . . . exquisite -- Jenni Murray * Guardian, Books of the Year * Spellbinding . . . What is so memorable is the sense of utter desolation of this family. They are as outside our world as Lear and Edgar on the Heath * The Spectator, Books of the Year * With subtle colloquial dialogue and vibrant descriptive passages, this is an evocative read, which deserves attention * Sunday Independent * A novel that straddles the centuries, simultaneously modern and backward-looking, Hardeyesque yet fully engaged with contemporary politics * Literary Review * A cleverly constructed rural Gothic fable written in palatably simple prose . . . Elmet is a marvellous achievement * TLS * At its best, it reminds you of Cormac McCarthy's The Road * Metro * Rhythmic and lilting . . . a rich and earthy tale * Financial Times * A rare find of a book and a truly startling debut . . . a fascinating and unique tale shot through with gothic elements of Yorkshire folklore and fable. A poignant and powerful story, relevant now more than ever in a time when many in the countryside feel disenfranchised and unheard, Elmet packs a punch * Stylist, Book Wars * An impressive slice of contemporary noir steeped in Yorkshire legend . . . Elmet possesses a rich and unfussy lyricism * Guardian * Mozley is a gifted writer . . . Pastoral idyll, political expose, cosy family saga and horror tale, it reads like a traditional children's story that turns into a gangster film: Hansel and Gretel meets The Godfather * Sunday Times * A work of troubling beauty . . . Brutal, bleak, ethereal * New Statesman * Elmet is in so many ways a wonder to behold. It is also this year's David among the predictable Goliaths on the Booker list. How thrilling if David were to win against them * Evening Standard * A quiet explosion of a book, exquisite and unforgettable * The Economist *

Prizes: Short-listed for The Man Booker Prize 2017 (UK). * Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2018

Author Biography: Fiona Mozley was born in Hackney but grew up in York and studied at Cambridge before moving to Buenos Aires for a year - without speaking any Spanish. After briefly working at a literary agency in London, she moved back to York to complete a PhD in medieval studies. She also has a weekend job at The Little Apple Bookshop in York. Elmet is her first novel and has been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.