Susan Barker – författare

'Outstandingly weird and memorable' GUARDIAN'Deliciously creepy' NEW SCIENTIST Fear never dies… Featuring stories from Susan Barker, J K Chukwu, Bridget Collins, Mariana Enríquez, Michel Faber, Lewis Hancox, Emilia Hart, Ainslie Hogarth, Robert Lautner, Adorah Nworah, Irenosen Okojie, Lucy Rose, Lionel Shriver, James Smythe, Lavie Tidhar, Francine Toon, Evie Wyld and Louisa Young. These stories from eighteen master storytellers will curdle your blood, haunt your dreams and redefine terror.From a hungry young woman who is not what she seems, to a boy who has taken his mother's advice a little too seriously; from disfigured girls willing to pay any price to fit in, to an immigrant who cannot escape his tormentor in his new home country; from a new home with a sinister secret, to the discovery that a long-dead parent’s corpse is perfectly preserved decades later; this collection plumbs the depths of the psyche and dredges up some very modern horrors. READERS ARE OBSESSED 'Stunning' 'Well-plotted and horrifying' 'Visceral, creepy, gory… stays in your head long after reading them' 'It's so satisfying to turn to the next story in an anthology like this and be pretty confident it's going to be a banger… bravo' 'Spine-tingling… I was gripped and it kept me up at night as I just wanted to read one more story' 'Often unusual, always unique… a wildly eclectic cornucopia of horror'

'Outstandingly weird and memorable' GUARDIAN'Deliciously creepy' NEW SCIENTIST Fear never dies… Featuring stories from Susan Barker, J K Chukwu, Bridget Collins, Mariana Enríquez, Michel Faber, Lewis Hancox, Emilia Hart, Ainslie Hogarth, Robert Lautner, Adorah Nworah, Irenosen Okojie, Lucy Rose, Lionel Shriver, James Smythe, Lavie Tidhar, Francine Toon, Evie Wyld and Louisa Young. These stories from eighteen master storytellers will curdle your blood, haunt your dreams and redefine terror.From a hungry young woman who is not what she seems, to a boy who has taken his mother's advice a little too seriously; from disfigured girls willing to pay any price to fit in, to an immigrant who cannot escape his tormentor in his new home country; from a new home with a sinister secret, to the discovery that a long-dead parent’s corpse is perfectly preserved decades later; this collection plumbs the depths of the psyche and dredges up some very modern horrors. READERS ARE OBSESSED 'Stunning' 'Well-plotted and horrifying' 'Visceral, creepy, gory… stays in your head long after reading them' 'It's so satisfying to turn to the next story in an anthology like this and be pretty confident it's going to be a banger… bravo' 'Spine-tingling… I was gripped and it kept me up at night as I just wanted to read one more story' 'Often unusual, always unique… a wildly eclectic cornucopia of horror'

'Outstandingly weird and memorable' GUARDIAN'Deliciously creepy' NEW SCIENTIST Fear never dies… Featuring stories from Susan Barker, J K Chukwu, Bridget Collins, Mariana Enríquez, Michel Faber, Lewis Hancox, Emilia Hart, Ainslie Hogarth, Robert Lautner, Adorah Nworah, Irenosen Okojie, Lucy Rose, Lionel Shriver, James Smythe, Lavie Tidhar, Francine Toon, Evie Wyld and Louisa Young. These stories from eighteen master storytellers will curdle your blood, haunt your dreams and redefine terror.From a hungry young woman who is not what she seems, to a boy who has taken his mother's advice a little too seriously; from disfigured girls willing to pay any price to fit in, to an immigrant who cannot escape his tormentor in his new home country; from a new home with a sinister secret, to the discovery that a long-dead parent’s corpse is perfectly preserved decades later; this collection plumbs the depths of the psyche and dredges up some very modern horrors. READERS ARE OBSESSED 'Stunning' 'Well-plotted and horrifying' 'Visceral, creepy, gory… stays in your head long after reading them' 'It's so satisfying to turn to the next story in an anthology like this and be pretty confident it's going to be a banger… bravo' 'Spine-tingling… I was gripped and it kept me up at night as I just wanted to read one more story' 'Often unusual, always unique… a wildly eclectic cornucopia of horror'

''Outstandingly weird and memorable'' GUARDIAN''Deliciously creepy'' NEW SCIENTISTFear never dies…Featuring stories from Susan Barker, J K Chukwu, Bridget Collins, Mariana Enríquez, Michel Faber, Lewis Hancox, Emilia Hart, Ainslie Hogarth, Robert Lautner, Adorah Nworah, Irenosen Okojie, Lucy Rose, Lionel Shriver, James Smythe, Lavie Tidhar, Francine Toon, Evie Wyld and Louisa Young. These stories from eighteen master storytellers will curdle your blood, haunt your dreams and redefine terror.From a hungry young woman who is not what she seems, to a boy who has taken his mother''s advice a little too seriously; from disfigured girls willing to pay any price to fit in, to an immigrant who cannot escape his tormentor in his new home country; from a new home with a sinister secret, to the discovery that a long-dead parent’s corpse is perfectly preserved decades later; this collection plumbs the depths of the psyche and dredges up some very modern horrors.READERS ARE OBSESSED''Stunning''''Well-plotted and horrifying''''Visceral, creepy, gory… stays in your head long after reading them''''It''s so satisfying to turn to the next story in an anthology like this and be pretty confident it''s going to be a banger… bravo''''Spine-tingling… I was gripped and it kept me up at night as I just wanted to read one more story''''Often unusual, always unique… a wildly eclectic cornucopia of horror''

'Outstandingly weird and memorable' GUARDIAN'Deliciously creepy' NEW SCIENTIST Fear never dies… Featuring stories from Susan Barker, J K Chukwu, Bridget Collins, Mariana Enríquez, Michel Faber, Lewis Hancox, Emilia Hart, Ainslie Hogarth, Robert Lautner, Adorah Nworah, Irenosen Okojie, Lucy Rose, Lionel Shriver, James Smythe, Lavie Tidhar, Francine Toon, Evie Wyld and Louisa Young. These stories from eighteen master storytellers will curdle your blood, haunt your dreams and redefine terror.From a hungry young woman who is not what she seems, to a boy who has taken his mother's advice a little too seriously; from disfigured girls willing to pay any price to fit in, to an immigrant who cannot escape his tormentor in his new home country; from a new home with a sinister secret, to the discovery that a long-dead parent’s corpse is perfectly preserved decades later; this collection plumbs the depths of the psyche and dredges up some very modern horrors. READERS ARE OBSESSED 'Stunning' 'Well-plotted and horrifying' 'Visceral, creepy, gory… stays in your head long after reading them' 'It's so satisfying to turn to the next story in an anthology like this and be pretty confident it's going to be a banger… bravo' 'Spine-tingling… I was gripped and it kept me up at night as I just wanted to read one more story' 'Often unusual, always unique… a wildly eclectic cornucopia of horror'

The most mesmerising, unsettling novel of 2025, perfect for fans of David Mitchell, Julia Armfield, and Margaret Atwood.'Sinister, mysterious and gorgeously realised' KALIANE BRADLEY, author of The Ministry of Time'Old Soul will sneak into your dreams and haunt you' CLAIRE FULLER, author of Unsettled Ground---The woman never goes by the same name.She never stays in the same place too long.She never ages. She never dies.But those around her do.When two grieving strangers meet by chance in Osaka airport they uncover a disturbing connection. Jake's best friend and Mariko's twin brother each died, 6,000 miles apart, in brutal and unfathomable circumstances.Each encountered a mesmerising, dark-haired woman in the days before their deaths. A woman who came looking for Mariko - and then disappeared.Jake, who has carried his loss and guilt for a decade, finds himself compelled to follow the trail set by Mariko's revelations. It's a trail that weaves across continents and centuries, leading back to the many who have died - in strange and terrifying and eerily similar ways - and those they left behind: bewildered, disbelieved, yet resolutely sure of what they saw.And, at the centre of it all, there is the same beguiling woman. Her name may have changed, but her purpose has never wavered, and as Jake races to discover who, or what she is, she has already made her next choice.But will knowing her secret be enough to stop her?---'Snags the reader in its claw and mesmerizes from page one' Monique Roffey, author of The Mermaid of Black Conch'Like nothing else I've ever read ... The kind of story you tell around a campfire as the lights of civilization begin to flicker out around you' Kristen Roupenian, author of 'Cat Person''Beguiles, terrifies and utterly seduces you ... At once a thriller, a postmodern mystery and an existential horror tale' Megan Abbott, author of El Dorado Drive'Brilliant, horrifying ... So much fun, fantastically tense and wonderful' Evie Wyld, author of The Echoes'Clever, spooky ... Kept me guessing to the end' Chloe Benjamin, author of The Immortalists'A mesmerizing story, brilliantly told' Ian McGuire, author of The North Water'Smart, taut and twisty ... Deftly delivers the chills' Karen Joy Fowler, author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves

The most mesmerising, unsettling novel of 2025, perfect for fans of David Mitchell, Julia Armfield, and Margaret Atwood.'Sinister, mysterious and gorgeously realised' KALIANE BRADLEY, author of The Ministry of Time'Super-sophisticated horror' The Times---The woman never goes by the same name.She never stays in the same place too long.She never ages. She never dies.But those around her do.When two grieving strangers meet by chance in Osaka airport they uncover a disturbing connection. Jake's best friend and Mariko's twin brother each died, 6,000 miles apart, in brutal and unfathomable circumstances.Each encountered a mesmerising, dark-haired woman in the days before their deaths. A woman who came looking for Mariko - and then disappeared.Jake, who has carried his loss and guilt for a decade, finds himself compelled to follow the trail set by Mariko's revelations. It's a trail that weaves across continents and centuries, leading back to the many who have died - in strange and terrifying and eerily similar ways - and those they left behind: bewildered, disbelieved, yet resolutely sure of what they saw.And, at the centre of it all, there is the same beguiling woman. Her name may have changed, but her purpose has never wavered, and as Jake races to discover who, or what she is, she has already made her next choice.But will knowing her secret be enough to stop her?---'Snags the reader in its claw and mesmerizes from page one' Monique Roffey, author of The Mermaid of Black Conch'Like nothing else I've ever read ... The kind of story you tell around a campfire as the lights of civilization begin to flicker out around you' Kristen Roupenian, author of 'Cat Person''Beguiles, terrifies and utterly seduces you ... At once a thriller, a postmodern mystery and an existential horror tale' Megan Abbott, author of El Dorado Drive'Brilliant, horrifying ... So much fun, fantastically tense and wonderful' Evie Wyld, author of The Echoes'Clever, spooky ... Kept me guessing to the end' Chloe Benjamin, author of The Immortalists'A mesmerizing story, brilliantly told' Ian McGuire, author of The North Water'Smart, taut and twisty ... Deftly delivers the chills' Karen Joy Fowler, author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves

The most mesmerising, unsettling novel of 2025, perfect for fans of David Mitchell, Julia Armfield, and Margaret Atwood.'Sinister, mysterious and gorgeously realised' KALIANE BRADLEY, author of The Ministry of Time'Super-sophisticated horror' The Times---The woman never goes by the same name.She never stays in the same place too long.She never ages. She never dies.But those around her do.When two grieving strangers meet by chance in Osaka airport they uncover a disturbing connection. Jake's best friend and Mariko's twin brother each died, 6,000 miles apart, in brutal and unfathomable circumstances.Each encountered a mesmerising, dark-haired woman in the days before their deaths. A woman who came looking for Mariko - and then disappeared.Jake, who has carried his loss and guilt for a decade, finds himself compelled to follow the trail set by Mariko's revelations. It's a trail that weaves across continents and centuries, leading back to the many who have died - in strange and terrifying and eerily similar ways - and those they left behind: bewildered, disbelieved, yet resolutely sure of what they saw.And, at the centre of it all, there is the same beguiling woman. Her name may have changed, but her purpose has never wavered, and as Jake races to discover who, or what she is, she has already made her next choice.But will knowing her secret be enough to stop her?---'Snags the reader in its claw and mesmerizes from page one' Monique Roffey, author of The Mermaid of Black Conch'Like nothing else I've ever read ... The kind of story you tell around a campfire as the lights of civilization begin to flicker out around you' Kristen Roupenian, author of 'Cat Person''Beguiles, terrifies and utterly seduces you ... At once a thriller, a postmodern mystery and an existential horror tale' Megan Abbott, author of El Dorado Drive'Brilliant, horrifying ... So much fun, fantastically tense and wonderful' Evie Wyld, author of The Echoes'Clever, spooky ... Kept me guessing to the end' Chloe Benjamin, author of The Immortalists'A mesmerizing story, brilliantly told' Ian McGuire, author of The North Water'Smart, taut and twisty ... Deftly delivers the chills' Karen Joy Fowler, author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves

POWERFUL EPIC LOVE STORY CROSSING GENERATIONS BY THE HIGHLY ACCLAIMED AUTHOR OF THE INCARNATIONS AND SAYONARA BARLonglisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize'Magnificent' Audrey Niffenegger'Highly original' IndependentMalaya 1951, a jungle resettlement camp: young colonial adventurer Christopher Milnar falls passionately in love with a Chinese nurse Evangeline - a fierce flame that ends in tragedy when their camp is attacked by Communist guerrillas and Christopher is left for dead.London: half a century later, the ghosts return to haunt Christopher, triggering vivid memories of colonial misconduct and lost love. Forced to confront his actions, Christopher agonises over the fate of his beloved Evangeline and the whereabouts of their daughter.Moving from present day London to the heart of the Malayan jungle in colonial times, THE ORIENTALIST AND THE GHOST is a stunning portrayal of human frailty and the ghosts that haunt a family from one generation to the next.Readers praise The Orientalist and the Ghost'Look forward to more from this great modern author' *****'A really excellent book' *****

'You must be wondering who I am.I am your soulmate, your old friend,and I have come back to this city of sixteen million in search of you'A sweeping tale of love, betrayal and sacrifice told through five lives over a thousand years of Chinese history'Reads as China's Midnight's Children. Utterly remarkable' Independent'Kaleidoscopically imaginative ' The New Yorker'An immersive, stunningly weird tale' GuardianBeijing, 2008, the Olympics are coming, but as taxi driver Wang circles the city's congested streets, he feels barely alive. His daily grind is suddenly interrupted when he finds a letter in the sunshade of his cab. He is being warned: Someone is watching him. Someone who claims to be his soulmate and to have known him for over a thousand years.Other letters follow, and Wang will re-live five lives with his soulmate:- as spirit-brides escaping sacrifice in the Tang Dynasty;- young slaves dashing through the desert after the Mongol invasion;- palace concubines plotting to kill their murderous emperor;- fisherman assisting a bloody kidnapping in the Opium War;- Red Guards turning against their schoolfriends during the Cultural revolution.As each past life unfolds, Wang feels his ghostly soulmate. In the shadows. Growing closer ...__________________________________A New York Times Editors' Choice and Notable Book of the Year.Shortlisted for the Kirkus Prize for FictionPRAISE FOR SUSAN BARKER:'[A] kaleidoscopically imaginative novel...Barker stitches together an unnervingly perceptive portrait of China and of the enduring influence that its past has on the present' THE NEW YORKER'A thrilling journey through a thousand years of obsession and betrayal, this is the most extraordinary work of imagination you'll read all year' ADAM JOHNSON, Winner of the PULITZER Prize for Fiction 'Erudite, intriguing and compulsively readable, Susan Barker, a born story-teller, has written one of the most remarkable novels of recent years' JOHN BOYNE'A brilliant, mind-expanding, and wildly original novel' CHRIS CLEAVE'A hallucinatory ride. Highly recommend' ANNA HOPEFor OLD SOULS: ‘Sinister, mysterious and gorgeously realised.’ Kaliane Bradley, author of The Ministry of Time.‘Suspend your disbelief and flow along with this masterful novel’ The Guardian‘[An] immersive and subtle horror story, weaving a delicately complex plot that leaves the reader with a lingering sense of dread.’ The Spectator‘Super-sophisticated horror, as indebted to literary fiction as it is to gothic gore.’ The Times‘As unnerving as it is beautifully written… A mesmerising, genre-bending read.’ The i Paper

**Shortlisted for the Authors' Club First Novel Award and longlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize**'Highly original . . . A major achievement by an exciting new author' Independent'A beautifully written and far-reaching exploration of Japanese culture' Books of the Year, IndependentMary, a graduate from England, has drifted into a job in a hostess lounge in Osaka. She works for the enigmatic Mama-san and spends her evenings flirting with rich Japanese salarymen, playing drinking games and singing in the karaoke booth. Mary is in love with Yuji, Mama-san's son. But Yuji's loyalty is to the Yakuza gangster for whom he works.Watanabe, the introverted cook, watches Mary from the kitchen. He exists in his own manga-fuelled fantasy of the fourth dimension, and believes he can see into other people's souls. When he perceives the danger of Mary's growing obsession with Yuji, he resolves to protect her whatever the cost.Mr Sato works for the Daiwa Trading Corporation. Obsessive overwork cannot cure the emptiness of his solitary life as a salaryman. Lured against his will to the Sayonara Bar by his boss, he finds himself returning there to escape his dead wife's ghost.Edgy, sly, often very funny, SAYONARA BAR spins a kaleidoscopic, genre-crossing tale of people cut adrift in a globalized world.

'You must be wondering who I am.I am your soulmate, your old friend,and I have come back to this city of sixteen million in search of you'A sweeping tale of love, betrayal and sacrifice told through five lives over a thousand years of Chinese history'Reads as China's Midnight's Children. Utterly remarkable' Independent'Kaleidoscopically imaginative ' The New Yorker'An immersive, stunningly weird tale' GuardianBeijing, 2008, the Olympics are coming, but as taxi driver Wang circles the city's congested streets, he feels barely alive. His daily grind is suddenly interrupted when he finds a letter in the sunshade of his cab. He is being warned: Someone is watching him. Someone who claims to be his soulmate and to have known him for over a thousand years.Other letters follow, and Wang will re-live five lives with his soulmate:- as spirit-brides escaping sacrifice in the Tang Dynasty;- young slaves dashing through the desert after the Mongol invasion;- palace concubines plotting to kill their murderous emperor;- fisherman assisting a bloody kidnapping in the Opium War;- Red Guards turning against their schoolfriends during the Cultural revolution.As each past life unfolds, Wang feels his ghostly soulmate. In the shadows. Growing closer ...__________________________________A New York Times Editors' Choice and Notable Book of the Year.Shortlisted for the Kirkus Prize for FictionPRAISE FOR SUSAN BARKER:'[A] kaleidoscopically imaginative novel...Barker stitches together an unnervingly perceptive portrait of China and of the enduring influence that its past has on the present' THE NEW YORKER'A thrilling journey through a thousand years of obsession and betrayal, this is the most extraordinary work of imagination you'll read all year' ADAM JOHNSON, Winner of the PULITZER Prize for Fiction 'Erudite, intriguing and compulsively readable, Susan Barker, a born story-teller, has written one of the most remarkable novels of recent years' JOHN BOYNE'A brilliant, mind-expanding, and wildly original novel' CHRIS CLEAVE'A hallucinatory ride. Highly recommend' ANNA HOPEFor OLD SOULS: ‘Sinister, mysterious and gorgeously realised.’ Kaliane Bradley, author of The Ministry of Time.‘Suspend your disbelief and flow along with this masterful novel’ The Guardian‘[An] immersive and subtle horror story, weaving a delicately complex plot that leaves the reader with a lingering sense of dread.’ The Spectator‘Super-sophisticated horror, as indebted to literary fiction as it is to gothic gore.’ The Times‘As unnerving as it is beautifully written… A mesmerising, genre-bending read.’ The i Paper