Gliff

THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS' CHOICE • From a literary master, a moving and genre-bending story about our era-spanning search for meaning and knowing An uncertain near-future. A story of new boundaries drawn between people daily. A not-very brave new world. Add two children. And a horse. From a Scottish word meaning a transient moment, a shock, a faint glimpse, Gliff explores how and why we endeavour to make a mark on the world. In a time when western industry wants to reduce us to algorithms and data—something easily categorizable and predictable—Smith shows us why our humanity, our individual complexities, matter more than ever.
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‘Miraculous . . . tender, hilarious and ultimately uplifting. A ray of hope’ Paul Murray, Irish Times Once upon a time, not very far from now, two children come home to find a line of wet red paint round the outside of their house . . . So begins the freewheeling and urgent new novel from Ali Smith – the story of two young people and a horse called Gliff, on the run from history as it takes a turn for the worse. ‘A voice that moves with lightness and precision, where bravery and goodness triumph in spirit over jeopardy and fear’ Financial Times ‘One of Smith’s most propulsive stories – a dark adventure with high stakes, which is still a sparklingly crisp read. A new Ali Smith book is always an event’ Holly Williams, i ‘Ali Smith’s marvellous Gliff considers the complexities of our present moment and the thorny, bridling potential of possible futures with wit, care and craft. A masterpiece of storytelling about storytelling, exploring the delighting, dangerous power of language and connectivity’ Eley Williams SHORTLISTED FOR THE GORDON BOWKER VOLCANO PRIZE 2025 SHORTLISTED FOR THE HIGHLAND BOOK PRIZE 2024