Author:Bilal Tanweer
Shortlisted for the 2015 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature
Winner of the Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize 2014
The Scatter Here Is Too Great heralds a major new voice from Pakistan with a stunning debut - a novel told in a rich variety of distinctive voices that converge at a single horrific event: a bomb blast at a station in the heart of the city.
Comrade Sukhansaz, an old communist poet, is harassed on a bus full of college students minutes before the blast. His son, a wealthy middle-aged businessman, yearns for his own estranged child. A young man, Sadeq, has a dead-end job snatching cars from people who have defaulted on their bank loans, while his girlfriend spins tales for her young brother to conceal her own heartbreak. An ambulance driver picking up the bodies after the blast has a shocking encounter with two strange-looking men whom nobody else seems to notice. And in the midst of it all, a solitary writer, tormented with grief for his dead father, struggles to find words.
In a style that is at once inventive and deeply moving, Tanweer reveals the pain, loneliness and longing of these characters and celebrates the power of the written word to heal individuals and communities plagued by violence. Elegantly weaving together a striking portrait of a city and its people, The Scatter Here Is Too great is a love story written to Karachi - as vibrant and varied in its characters, passions, and idiosyncrasies as the city itself.
A beautiful debut. A blood-soaked love letter to Karachi.
—— Mohammed HanifTimely and unconventional… Its beautiful fragments coalesce to form an elaborate, haunting portrait of urban Pakistan, one that is rich with acute sociological detail and subtle existential contemplation.
—— Hirsh Sawhney , GuardianA superb and genuinely exciting debut. By the end of this book Tanweer had made me see that certain things are more beautiful and valuable for having been broken.
—— Nadeem AslamBilal Tanweer uses his many gifts as a writer to evoke a Karachi of humour, violence, frustration, love - and breathtaking stories at every turn. A wonderful debut.
—— Kamila ShamsieBilal Tanweer has written a modern love letter - furious, passionate, playful, and longing - to Pakistan. And in his brilliant hands he tells the universal story of home.
—— Ben MarcusAn impressive, poignant read.
—— Jennifer Lipman , Running in HeelsIntriguing… Each of the voices rings emotionally true.
—— Jon Wise , Weekend Sportit’s beautiful fragments coalesce to form an elaborate, haunting portrait of urban Pakistan, rich with acute sociological detail and subtle existential contemplation
—— Hirsh Sawhney , GuardianA Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers is an intriguing, funny and unusual novel about what gets lost in translation
—— HeraldAn uplifting novel with moments of great poignancy and pathos
—— TatlerWritten with compelling simplicity.
—— Kerry Fowler , Sainsbury's MagazineCleverly constructed, carefully written and deservedly longlisted for this year’s Booker Prize.
—— Harry Ritchie , Daily MailClegg's story is frequently affecting.
—— James Kidd , IndependentAt times a harrowing read, the slow and deliberate manner with which connections are revealed and questions answered is genuinely satisfying. By the time Clegg’s narrative strands converge, the glimpse that he grants of a brighter future feels earned.
—— Stephanie Cross , LadyAn emotionally resonant debut.
—— Sunday TimesA moving lament on guilt and grief, not to mention a gripping thriller.
—— Harpers BazaarA sad yet hopeful novel built from both suffering and kindness.
—— Erica Wagner , New StatesmanPoignant and haunting debut.
—— Suzi Farry , Sunday ExpressClegg shows an impressive depth and range of voice as he tells a story of friendships, broken families, burgeoning love, and the aftermath of grief.
—— Mail on SundayDeeply moving.
—— PsychologiesClegg is committed to unravelling the complexities of human nature.
—— Janette Currie , Independent on SundayThrough distinctive and instantly recognisable characters, this novel finds beauty in pain, grief and regret.
—— UK Press SyndicationA true beauty of a novel.
—— Georgina Lane , Belle About TownClegg writes with warmth and a deep understanding of grief.
—— Saga MagazineWonderful narrative of chance, grief, and the ways we feed on and nourish each other.
—— John Burnside , New StatesmanFabulous.
—— James Kidd , IndependentTold its heart-breaking tale with tenderness and verve.
—— Alex Preston , ObserverA work full of secrets, shame and scandal.
—— Fiona Wilson , The TimesA story of what can be found when so much has been snatched away.
—— Kerry Fowler , Sainsbury’s MagazineA meditation on enduring the unendurable… This is a wonderful and deeply moving novel.
—— Clare Clark , GuardianA beautiful, heart-rending novel of quiet, understated tragedy… Sensitive and insightful, heart-breaking and hopeful… [A] tender, wise and hopeful novel.
—— Hannah Beckerman , Observer
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