SHORTLISTED for the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize!

Thrilled to be one of six shortlisted titles (winnowed down from ~ 160 books) that were chosen by Waterstones Booksellers across the UK. More information here.

And some wonderful words from one of the panelists about How High We Go in the Dark:

Eleanor from Kendal:

This book was something completely different, something fresh and interesting – written before the Covid-19 pandemic, but eerily pertinent to everything the world has been going through for the last two years. Each chapter comes from a different character perspective, building narratives that all slowly unfurl and link together to form a whole. We start out with the discovery of ancient human Neanderthal remains in the melting polar ice cap and the climate scientists attempting to help save our ever-warming planet; we then follow the spread of a catastrophic virus these remains release. The breadth of issues this book covers is utterly incredible.

I know this might sound strange but my favourite character in this book is a pig, Snortorious P.I.G, named by his lab team who are hosting human compatible transplant organs in his body for those afflicted by the deadly virus sweeping the globe. They don't expect his sentience; his ability to communicate takes them by complete surprise, and their relationship with him is beautifully handled and so genuine. He is also an absolute sweetie.

I would recommend this book to anyone needing a dose of human decency, anyone despairing at the state of the world we live in, or frustrated with the political landscape – the divisions and borders we put up between nations and between individuals. This book takes you on a healing journey to rediscover the best traits of humanity, towards feeling that in times of great crisis we can see past differences and move forward together. I would compare How High W Go in the Dark to David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas; they are similar in their ambitious scope, playful narratives and incredible depth of feeling. Nagamatsu's novel also reminded me of Margaret Atwood and Dave Eggers – both fabulous speculative authors who dare to take us to the edges of possibility and back.

How High We Go in the Dark encompasses so many themes and is so ambitious in its reach, passion and humour that it's bound to leave the reader moved and feeling somewhat changed by the experience. What could be a better winner for this inaugural prize than a book that brings hope and touches the very heart of humanity?

Eleanor on reading for the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize: 

Bookselling for those who love it is addictive and there's nothing like finding that next book that hits you in the heart and then gently pressing it into the hands of all the people who come to you for a recommendation. I wanted to read for this prize to be able to discover one of those heart-grabbing books and be able to recommend it to the nation – not just the people browsing my bookshop but people browsing the shelves across the country and those scrolling our website from home equally – to reach out and say “this, read this next!”