This year’s Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize has three exciting novels in the running – “Mongrel” by Hanako Footman, “Greta & Valdin” written by Rebecca K. Reilly, and “The Silence In Between” by Josie Ferguson, illustrating the broad thematic range of emerging authors.
In “Mongrel”, Hanako Footman intricately intertwines the seemingly disparate tales of three women, which ultimately all merge by the end of the novel. We have Mei, a young girl residing in Surrey, trying to come to terms with her Japanese mother’s death whilst suppressing her ethnicity and her sexual identity to fit in. Yuki, a woman who leaves her rural Japanese home behind to follow her dream of becoming a renowned violinist in London. However, her unfamiliarity and naivety make her unhesitatingly appreciative of her tutor’s overtures. Lastly, we meet Haruka, a woman who lives in Tokyo, working in the city’s red-light district and mourning her mysterious mother’s death.
The storytelling style of Footman can be described as alluringly cinematic and sensual. Minute details are given to the smoothness of affluent suburb swimming pools, the glossy sheen of violins, and the stark reds of Tokyo strip clubs’ walls and leather cubicles. At times, the ambiance can feel dense, such as poignant sex scenes being described in great lyrical detail. The recurring emphasis on delicate femininity can occasionally seem a bit exhaustive: “She is young, beautiful, and completely alone.”. However, the profound comprehension of the nuances of desire and the sporadic contemplation on challenging social depictions of female suffering makes “Mongrel” a worthwhile read.
The varied thematic spectrum provided by new authors like those of “The Silence in Between”, “Greta & Valdin”, and “Mongrel” is truly exhilarating. Numerous other works like “Beginnings” by Kelly Matthews, exploring the evolution of a fiercely ambitious playwright, Brian Friel, and “Natural Magic: Emily Dickinson, Charles Darwin and the Dawn of Modern Science” by Renée Bergland, which offers a rich and rewarding study, add to this narrative. A short story by Bernie McGill, “People in the Wind”, further adds dimensions to this landscape.
The first novel by Rebecca K Reilly, named Greta & Valdin, commences with the arrival of a missed delivery notice at the flat that the two titular characters share. The possibility of what the parcel might contain leads Valdin to comment on his sister’s regular online book purchases despite her well-voiced stance against supporting the bigger corporate entities. Her justifications are often centered around the government having rescinded the grants formerly available to postgraduate learners in 2012. The narrative’s impromptu flow imbues the novel with a strong political edge. It vividly depicts a specific facet of urban “elite” life, marked by liberal leanings, copious education, and an almost compulsive need to be connected online.
The story constantly shifts between the viewpoints of Greta and Valdin, showcasing multifaceted and realistic examples of both queer and multiracial experiences. Reilly’s writing shines with a lively allure but hidden beneath their characters’ persistent cynicism, lies a depth that resonates with the unique anxieties of the 21st-century that often verge on existential unease. The fleeting, inkling-esque scenes that punctuate the novel echo the discomfort of youth in an increasingly digital age. Greta’s dissonance about maintaining blonde hair in the winter season, despite it naturally being dark, offers just one of many such glimpses. Rebecca K Reilly’s debut novel unveils an intriguing and incisive new voice in literature.
The historical work of Josie Ferguson, called The Silence In Between, gracefully marries real-world history with magical realism. Her narrative starts with an emotionally charged parting; on the momentous date of August 12th, 1961, Lisette leaves her newborn in a West Berlin hospital to get some rest at her East Berlin residence. Upon waking, she finds the border is closed. At this point, the story diverges. One arc revisits Lisette’s Nazi-era Berlin experiences, chronicling her family’s uneasy compliance with the ruling authority for survival. The remaining narrative proceeds in the 1960s Berlin context, with Lisette’s daughter, Elly, scheming with her infatuation to smuggle her baby brother over the now-sealed border. Adding a dash of peculiarity, Elly possesses a paranormal ability that lets her discern the essence of people’s souls through an auditory manifestation, proving to be a handy method for discerning trustworthy allies.
In her first literary endeavour, Josie Ferguson delivers a compelling and detailed narrative, setting the stage for her future works. By interweaving the stories of Lisette and Elly, she creates an engaging dialogue between two eras in history. However, the subject matter she explores leaves a sense of predictability and lacks specific details. Furthermore, the characters’ introspective dialogues are marred by excessive narrative. Consider Elly’s reflection on living in East Germany, under the constant surveillance by the Soviets and the Stasi, which feels suffused with clichéd sentiments.
Furthermore, Lisette’s accounts during the Nazi regime feel out of place and anachronistic. She reveals hearing of the growing atrocities in Berlin, unable to ignore them. But the question arises – why was she unable to ignore them? Is it because the reader is expected to empathise with her? Ferguson navigates around confronting the true moral complexities of oppression and complicity, yielding to a shortfall of imaginative capacity. Despite these criticisms, Ferguson’s premier novel is intriguing and well-structured, providing a hopeful glimpse into her future literary prospects.