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A signed (to a special publisher bookplate) 1st edition/2nd printing of the highly-rated 2nd novel from Irish author and journalist Audrey Magee. On 26 July, this book was named on the 2022 Booker Prize Longlist and was considered a very strong contender for the prize by many. Her debut novel, 'The Undertaking ', was nominated for the 2014 Women's Prize for Fiction.

When the 2022 Booker Prize Shortlist was announced on 6 September, there was widespread consternation amongst the 'bookish' community that this novel was not selected. Nearly all reviewers I saw had this as one of their selections, with many indicating it was, in their view, the best novel on the longlist and deserving of the overall win. The Booker judges, unaccountably, disagreed and seemed to have a particular penchant for very short novels!

'The Colony ', published by Faber and Faber in London on 3 February 2022, 1st edition/2nd impression, standard modern hardback, [viii] + 376 pages.

Hand signed by Audrey Magee to a special book-specific designed Faber bookplate affixed to the title page.

In fine unread condition.

** LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2022. SHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE **

'He handed the easel to the boatman, reaching down the pier wall towards the sea.'

Mr Lloyd has decided to travel to the island by boat without engine - the authentic experience. Unbeknownst to him, Mr Masson will also soon be arriving for the summer. Both will strive to encapsulate the truth of this place - one in his paintings, the other by capturing its speech, the language he hopes to preserve.

But the people who live on this rock - three miles long and half-a-mile wide - have their own views on what is being recorded, what is being taken and what is given in return. Soft summer days pass, and the islanders are forced to question what they value and what they desire. As the autumn beckons, and the visitors head home, there will be a reckoning.

'Intelligent and provocative . . . What a relief it is to find a novel that treats the reader as a grown-up, that is fresh without chasing literary fashion, provocative but not shouty, and idiosyncratic but fully satisfying from the strange comedy of its opening pages to its decisive conclusion . . . The Colony contains multitudes - on families, on men and women, on rural communities - with much of it just visible on the surface, like the flicker of a smile or a shark in the water.' - The Times

Estimated non-UK postage costs by signed for airmail delivery - Europe £13, Canada/Japan £19, Aus/NZ £22, US £23. Additional books can always be added to a combined order for an additional postage cost based on extra 0.25kg bands of weight, with an extra postage cost per extra 0.25kg of £1.20 for Europe / £2.00 everywhere else - please contact if any questions.

Multiple items - Please review my other listings to see if there are any other items which are of interest to you. I will be pleased to provide a suitable invoice for combined postage cost for 2 or more items. If you have won an item and intend to bid on any other items which end on different days, I would be grateful if you would drop me a message.

Postage – All of my books are triple wrapped for delivery to maximise their safety - firstly in bubble wrap protection, secondly in either a padded envelope or a cardboard box, and finally in thick parcel paper.

For UK mainland - all items above a fairly modest value I will send via either signed for Royal Mail and/or courier options whichever is the best, this being largely dependent on the weight of the object.

I am more than happy to post overseas on the basis that all items will be posted by Airmail with a signature required on delivery. If you are overseas, please feel free to enquire about postage charges ahead of registering a bid if you are unsure of the cost I may have outlined above, where costs may be prohibitive depending upon where you are in the world and the weight of the item, many thanks.

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