There but for the

Jan 11, 2026 2:10 PM

Author:Ali Smith,Juliet Stevenson

There but for the

Brought to you by Penguin.

A sparkling satire from the MAN BOOKER PRIZE-SHORTLISTED and WOMEN'S PRIZE-WINNING author of How to be both and the critically acclaimed Seasonal quartet

'There once was a man who, one night between the main course and the sweet at a dinner party, went upstairs and locked himself in one of the bedrooms of the house of the people who were giving the dinner party . . .'

As time passes by and the consequences of this stranger's actions ripple outwards, touching the owners, the guests, the neighbours and the whole country, so Ali Smith draws us into a beautiful, strange place where everyone is so much more than they first appear...

'Playful, humorous, serious, profoundly clever and profoundly affecting' Guardian

'Adventurous, intoxicating, dazzling. This is a novel with serious ambitions that remains huge fun to read' Literary Review

'Smith can make anything happen, which is why she is one of our most exciting writers today' Daily Telegraph

Reviews

Whimsically devastating. Playful, humorous, serious, profoundly clever and profoundly affecting

—— Guardian

Remarkable. A brilliant novel: funny, serious, always surprising, always true

—— The Times

I take my hat off to Ali Smith. Her writing lifts the soul

—— Evening Standard

A playfully serious or seriously playful novel full of wit and pleasure. Wonderful

—— Observer

Eccentric, adventurous, intoxicating, dazzling. This is a novel with serious ambitions that remains huge fun to read. The writing dances along

—— Literary Review

Poignant, empathetic, funny. A book full of kindness and compassion

—— Time Out

Fizzying, affectionate, sparkling. Smith presents her world view in words as fresh as lemons. A joyful read

—— Herald

A tour de force

—— Lionel Shriver , Financial Times

A virtuoso piece of writing, both funny and gripping . . . Smith is a writer with a rich array of conventional strengths

—— Times Literary Supplement

A must read

—— Toronto NOW

Miller reveals the life of a pugnacious, energetic, free-thinking poet.

—— James Marriot and Robbie Millen , The Times, *Books of the Year*

Stunningly good—a brainy page-turner that’s gorgeous and frightening in equal measure. The Illness Lesson dazzled me.

—— Leni Zumas, author of Red Clocks

Narrated from a painfully intimate perspective, The Illness Lesson explores the consequences of an outrageous medical treatment inflicted upon adolescent girls in 1870’s New England to cure “hysteria”. In Clare Beams’ luminous and suspenseful prose, the unspeakable is spoken, falteringly at first, then with triumphant strength. Its timeliness will be evident to readers for whom the suppression of female sexuality / identity is an ongoing and urgent issue.

—— Joyce Carol Oates

Beams excels in her depiction of Caroline, an intriguingly complex character, and in her depiction of the school, which allows the reader a clear view of changing gender roles in the period, with parallels to today’s sexual abuse scandals. This powerful and resonant feminist story will move readers

—— Publishers Weekly

This suspenseful and vividly evocative tale expertly explores women’s oppression as well as their sexuality through the eyes of a heroine who is sometimes maddening, at other times sympathetic, and always wholly compelling and beautifully rendered

—— Booklist

A disturbing but brilliant narrative . . . a rare treat.

—— WOMAN'S WEEKLY

A great tapestry of busy-ness . . . Walter's descriptive passage are marvellous

—— Francesca Carington , Sunday Telegraph

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