Inka Parei was born in Frankfurt and moved to Berlin in 1987, where she studied German literature and Chinese studies. She now lives in Prenzlauer Berg with her son, writing and tutoring emerging literary talents. Her previous novel, The Shadow-Boxing Woman, is also published by Seagull Books.Katy Derbyshire is a London-born translator who has lived in Berlin since 1996. She has translated books by Helene Hegemann, Clemens Meyer, Inka Parei, Simon Urban, Dorothee Elmiger and Sibylle Lewitscharoff.

• Note from the TranslatorWhat Darkness Was by Inka Parei

Inka Parei was born in Frankfurt and moved to Berlin in 1987, where she studied German literature and Chinese studies. She now lives in Prenzlauer Berg with her son, writing and tutoring emerging literary talents. Her previous novel, The Shadow-Boxing Woman, is also published by Seagull Books.Katy Derbyshire is a London-born translator who has lived in Berlin since 1996. She has translated books by Helene Hegemann, Clemens Meyer, Inka Parei, Simon Urban, Dorothee Elmiger and Sibylle Lewitscharoff.

• Note from the TranslatorWhat Darkness Was by Inka Parei