Priya Guns – författare

From the incendiary voice behind Your Driver is Waiting, a riotous novel following a family of Tamil refugees who fled civil war in Sri Lanka to pursue a better life, just for it to be up-ended by the schemes of a self-proclaimed day-trading savant, jeopardizing everything they’ve worked so desperately to secure.It’s hard enough to be a teenager at the turn of the millennium, and especially so for Dilo, who on top of juggling school and caring for her baby-cousin Maysha, is tasked with hustling to help her family get by. After Dilo’s born-again Christian mother, Mary, and Aunt Anji relocated the family from Sri Lanka fleeing the civil war, one thing’s become blindingly clear—the “rags-to-riches” fairytale they were promised is bullshit. The system is rigged, so sometimes you have to cheat to win.Their family operates on the margins, working constantly to earn just enough to pay off their last meal. But they can only ignore stacks of overdue rent notices for so long, and when both matriarchs unexpectedly lose their jobs, desperation begins to set in. With eviction imminent, they are thrown a lifeline when they meet Mark, a swaggering day-trader, who promises to turn their small initial investment into thousands of dollars overnight on the stock exchange. At last, a miracle, and the family quickly become his apostles, recruiting investors by spreading the good word of his perpetual 10% returns. But they soon discover what really fuels Mark’s seemingly endless generosity, and when the markets turn they are left to navigate treacherous but familiar terrain. They must do what they always have, find a path where there isn’t one—survive.With “a ferocity of voice that belongs to Priya Guns alone” (Camille Perri, NYTBR), Hustle, Baby is a fearless and feral novel about one family’s quest to live the good life, and what happens when we push those with nothing past their breaking point.

Set among the chaos of Y2K and the early 2000s, comes a fierce, unforgettable novel about scammers, betrayal and revenge___________________________________'Fierce and hilarious' BOOKLIST'A thrill ride' LITERARY HUB'Swag, humour and sharp storytelling' ANDREW BORYGA___________________________________Dilo: Teenager. Refugee. Hustler.Since Dilo fled Sri Lanka for North America, she's learned at least one thing from her new home: sometimes you have to cheat to win. Between selling pirate CDs and shoplifting, she and her family live hand-to-mouth, constantly struggling for their next meal.Until her family meets Mark, a day trader who can double every dollar on the stock market.They quickly become enmeshed in his scheme, recruiting new investors who are as desperate for better days.But when the bubble bursts, Mark disappears as fast as the cash. Betrayed and enraged, Dilo must fight harder than ever to do the only thing she knows: survival.___________________________________Praise for Your Driver is Waiting:'A madcap story you won't want to put down' RACHEL YODER'A blazing debut' GUARDIAN'Searing and sexy' VOGUE'Funny, angry, beautifully written' DAILY MAIL'Gripping social satire' DIVA

An electrifying battle cry against the gig economy; a fierce debut on love, privilege, anger and revenge in all their messy forms from a blazing, unstoppable debut talent.

'What you are about to read is a call to arms. Best to prepare for a confrontation.' New York Times Book Review'A hard-hitting masterpiece. I devoured it.' Kristen Arnett, author of WITH TEETH 'A madcap story you won't want to put down' Rachel Yoder, author of NIGHTBITCH Damani is tired. Every day she cares for her mum, drives ride shares to pay the bills and is angry at a world that promised her more before spitting her out. The city is alive with protests, fighting for people like her, but Damani can barely afford - literally - to pay attention.That is until the summer she meets Jolene and life opens up. Jolene seems like she could be the perfect girlfriend - attentive, attractive, an ally - and their chemistry is undeniable. Jolene's done the reading, she goes to every protest, she has all the right answers. So maybe Damani can look past the one thing that's holding her back: Jolene is rich. And not only rich, but white, too. But just as their romance intensifies, just as Damani learns to trust, Jolene does something unforgivable, setting off a truly explosive chain of events.

“Chaotic, sexy, and binge-worthy as hell, Be Gay, Do Crime is an EVENT.”—Ruth Madievsky, author of All Night PharmacyA follow-up to their runaway success Peach Pit: Sixteen Stories of Unsavory Women, editors Molly Llewellyn and Kristel Buckley return with Be Gay, Do Crime, a celebration of queer chaos from an all-queer author lineup featuring Myriam Gurba, Emily Austin, Alissa Nutting, and Francesca EkwuyasiA trans woman makes increasingly frequent hoax calls to a business where she's had a negative experience, watching the consequences with perverse joy. A group of aging queers turns to bank robbery to stop the sale of their bungalow complex to a development company. As the president prepares to give a speech, two women lurk among the journalists, ready to shoot him. And an aspiring author takes to stealing items from strangers’ homes in a kind of cosmic redistribution each time one of her relationships fail.In sixteen brilliant, wild-eyed stories, Be Gay, Do Crime delivers a celebration and reckoning of why queer people turn to crime–unintentionally, as a means of survival, as protest, as rescue, or to right injustices big and small.

A follow-up to their runaway success Peach Pit: Sixteen Stories of Unsavory Women, editors Molly Llewellyn and Kristel Buckley return with Be Gay, Do Crime, a celebration of queer chaos from an all-queer author lineup featuring Myriam Gurba, Emily Austin, Alissa Nutting, and Francesca EkwuyasiA trans woman makes increasingly frequent hoax calls to a business where she''s had a negative experience, watching the consequences with perverse joy. A group of aging queers turns to bank robbery to stop the sale of their bungalow complex to a development company. As the president prepares to give a speech, two women lurk among the journalists, ready to shoot him. And an aspiring author takes to stealing items from strangers’ homes in a kind of cosmic redistribution each time one of her relationships fail.In sixteen brilliant, wild-eyed stories, Be Gay, Do Crime delivers a celebration and reckoning of why queer people turn to crime–unintentionally, as a means of survival, as protest, as rescue, or to right injustices big and small.