In between sparse vignettes, the narrator reveals that she has been diagnosed with cancer, her doctor urging her to put a hold on her work and seek chemotherapy.įacing a choice between the fight for survival or acceptance, her successes appear hollow to her. Having been invited by her upper-class boyfriend’s family to their sprawling country home for the weekend to celebrate their wedding anniversary, the narrator reflects on the insidious structures of class and race and how often, racism and classism are intertwined discourses. The unnamed narrator, a young British Black woman, seemingly has it all, a well-paid and blossoming career in finance, a wealthy boyfriend, private healthcare, and a flat in London. Within the slim one hundred pages of Assembly, gifted new writer Natasha Brown has crafted a debut tale that considers the psychic marks of racism and classism in modern-day Britain, consulting the legacy of British colonialism and the post-Thatcherite Business world. Dalloway meets Citizen by Claudia Rankine.Reflecting on the colonialist, classist structure of British society, Assembly is a remarkably powerful book that takes a poetic and poignant look at Black British identity A literary debut with flavours of Jordan Peele's Get Out' Bookseller, Editor's Choice 'Expertly crafted, remarkable, astonishing. You'll read it in one sitting' Sunday Times Style 'One of the most talked-about debuts of the year. As the minutes tick down and the future beckons, she can't escape the question: is it time to take it all apart? At the same time, she is considering the carefully assembled pieces of herself. She is preparing to attend a lavish garden party at her boyfriend's family estate, set deep in the English countryside. The narrator of Assembly is a Black British woman. Go to Oxbridge, get an education, start a career. A stunning new writer' Bernardine EvaristoĬome of age in the credit crunch. 'I'm full of the hope, on reading it, that this is the kind of book that doesn't just mark the moment things change, but also makes that change possible' Ali Smith 'Virtuosic, exquisite, achingly unique' Guardian

'Diamond-sharp, timely and urgent' Observer, Best Debuts of 2021 It is the kind of book that makes you feel like we might not need any more novels now, because here is the perfect one' Meg Mason, author of Sorrow and Bliss 'Assembly left me breathless with admiration. Selected as a Book of the Year 2021 by booksellers, writers and readers:įoyles, Daunt Books, Ignota and Libraria 'Book of the Year' selection The acclaimed word-of-mouth hit and break-out debut of the year. SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKS ARE MY BAG FICTION AWARD 2021 SHORTLISTED FOR THE GOLDSMITHS PRIZE 2021

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