The Coiled Serpent
Camilla Grudova'So inventive that it makes other writing seem uncourageous'
‘Utterly triumphant… She’s a thoroughly sui generis visionary – and, after reading The Coiled Serpent, I’d say one of the most startlingly original writers we’ve got.’ — A K Blakemore, Guardian
A little girl throws up Gloria-Jean's teeth after an explosion at the custard factory; Pax, Alexander, & Angelo are hypnotically enthralled by a book that promises them enlightenment if they keep their semen inside their bodies; Victoria is sent to a cursed hotel for ailing girls when her period mysteriously stops. In a damp, putrid spa, the exploitative drudgery of work sparks revolt; in a Margate museum, the new Director curates a venomous garden for public consumption.In Grudova's unforgettably surreal style, these stories expose the absurdities behind contemporary ideas of work, Britishness & art-making, to conjure a singular, startling strangeness that proves the deft skill of a writer at the top of her game.
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Camilla Grudova lives in Edinburgh where she works as an usherette. She holds a degree in Art History & German from McGill University, Montreal. Her fiction has appeared in The White Review & Granta. Her critically acclaimed debut collection, The Doll's Alphabet, was published in 2017. This is her first novel.