{"title":"Yumna Kassab","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYumna Kassab\u003c\/strong\u003e weaves stories that explore the complexities of identity, culture, and human relationships. Her works, such as \u003cem\u003eAustraliana\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eGoodbye, My Love\u003c\/em\u003e, offer a rich blend of evocative narratives set against diverse social and historical backdrops.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBridging \u003cem\u003eGeneral Fiction\u003c\/em\u003e with thoughtful insights found in \u003cem\u003eEducation \u0026amp; Reference\u003c\/em\u003e, Kassab's writing invites readers to reflect on broader themes of belonging, memory, and political landscapes, as seen in titles like \u003cem\u003ePolitica\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe House of Youssef\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-house-of-youssef-by-yumna-kassab-9781925818192","title":"The House of Youssef","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShortlisted for the 2020 NSW Premier's Literary Awards UTS Glenda Adas Award for New Writing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLonglisted for the Stella Prize 2020\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShortlisted for the 2020 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards: Fiction\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe House of Youssef\u003c\/i\u003e is a collection of short stories set in Western Sydney. The stories explore the lives of Lebanese migrants who have settled in the area, circling around themes of isolation, family and community, and nostalgia for the home country. In particular, \u003ci\u003eThe House of Youssef\u003c\/i\u003e is about relationships, and the customs which complicate them: between parents and children, the dark secrets of marriage, the breakable bonds between friends. The stories are told with extreme minimalism—some are only two pages long—which heightens their emotional intensity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe collection is framed by two soliloquies. The first expresses the longing of an old man for the homeland he will never return to. The second is the monologue of a woman, who could be his wife, addressed to her daughter, about life and its disappointments. The two central sequences are composed of vignettes which focus on moments of domestic crisis and which combine, in the title sequence, to chart the demise of a single family.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eKassab portrays the lives of ordinary people—simple, unglamorous, down-to-earth. Her understated style isolates small details and the anxieties that lurk within them. The tiny shifts in a normal day are an entire world to the people at the centre of her stories.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46716875309292,"sku":"9781925818192","price":32.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/18507253482873.jpg?v=1754449552"},{"product_id":"goodbye-my-love-by-yumna-kassab-9781761153303","title":"Goodbye, My Love","description":"\u003cp\u003e‘that wildly inventive scriptomaniac’\u003cb\u003e—\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e, Australian books to look forward to in 2026\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eWhen she finally left, like properly totally completely left,\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eit shouldn’t have come as a surprise.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe signs were there.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAmina's marriage to Amin was supposed to be a new beginning, instead, it became an inescapable end. Even after the divorce, the shadow of their relationship clings to her, defining her life long after they part.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSet within the intricate world of an Arab community, the story of these once-lovers explores the devastating impact of a failed marriage from its heady beginning to its bitter end. From the outset, it's clear this is a story of departure, yet Amina's physical leaving is only the very first step.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLike Lot's wife, forbidden to look back at her razed city, Amina is meant to move forward, but how can she when the past is burned into her soul?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePRAISE FOR \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eTHE LOVERS\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSHORTLISTED FOR THE MILES FRANKLIN LITERARY AWARD\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘her writing is poetic and reverential. The author’s understanding of love, romance and of responsibility runs deep.’ \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e–Books + Publishing\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Sometimes, Kassab shows us, love can be another word for cruelty. Sometimes the stories we hide behind reveal our deepest truths.’ \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e–Sydney Morning Herald\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘Beautifully told in Yumna Kassab's poetic prose, \u003ci\u003eThe Lovers\u003c\/i\u003e is both the story of the tumultuous relationship between Amir and Jamila and an exploration of class, culture and the complex nature of love.’\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e–Sunday Life\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘The delicate power that fables hold – their universality, while retaining their specificity – is captured in \u003ci\u003eThe Lovers\u003c\/i\u003e. Ultimately, Kassab’s novel rests on the premise of the “impossibility of language, of being able to ever understand someone else”.’\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e –ArtsHub\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘a raw, haunting and honest look at love, relationships, and the moments that break us.’ \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e–Mamamia\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Arotahi Agency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47288470798572,"sku":"9781761153303","price":37.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/4907d1cba8e56a2a1a3e2f47b0ae5c20.jpg?v=1770631119"},{"product_id":"parramatta-by-yumna-kassab-9781923106741","title":"Parramatta","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eIn thinking about the dictionary, I ask what is the dictionary here. It is me and my memories. The dictionary is \u003ci\u003eParramatta\u003c\/i\u003e itself as the place that is the backdrop to my memories.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs the inaugural laureate, Yumna Kassab set herself the task of collecting her observations and thoughts on living in Parramatta, now one of the country's most important economic, political, and cultural centres. Employing the dictionary form, the work is at once, as she says, 'memoir and reflection and vision and gathering and story and documentary'.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe entries, from A to Z, cover a wide range of topics, from the uses of language and Kassab's favourite authors and books, to the fortunes (and misfortunes) of the Western Sydney Wanderers; from reflections on beauty, silence, colonisation, and friendship to an appreciation of clouds and sunlight, parks and squares, and the city's cafes, the places where she writes. The entries also offer points of departure, through memory and association, to other places—to Lebanon, Uruguay, and especially to Palestine, whose fate casts a deep shadow over her daily experiences.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt is a personal dictionary in other words, driven by feeling and admiration and a sense of responsibility, one which, in an unassuming manner, presents an intimate portrait of its compiler. As Kassab writes, 'It was my idea that a dictionary could tell the story of a person (me) in connection with a place (Parramatta) with enough flexibility to take in detours, digressions, musings, and general quirkiness.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for Yumna Kassab:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Continuously surprising and probing... both personal and expansive; introspective and ambitious.' — Kylie Mirmohamadi\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Stylish and searching writing, with an exquisite command of language holding fast through unstable experimentation with form.'\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e— Sydney Morning Herald\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Kassab has written reworks.'\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e— Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Kassab's prose is unsparing and frank yet unstinting.'\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e— Sydney Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47932365373676,"sku":"9781923106741","price":39.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781923106741-parramatta.jpg?v=1783860987"},{"product_id":"australiana-by-yumna-kassab-9781761150609","title":"Australiana","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShortlisted for the University Of Queensland Fiction Book Award\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e‘The real deal.’\u003c\/em\u003e – Favel Parrett, author of \u003cem\u003ePast the Shallows\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThere Was Still Love\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Kassab creates an eerie sense of place as the reader is drawn into myriad perspectives and geographies. Without doubt \u003cem\u003eAustraliana\u003c\/em\u003e is an unnerving contribution to contemporary novel writing in this continent.'​\u003c\/em\u003e - \u003cem\u003eBooks + Publishing\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e‘Poetic, wise and peppered with black humour.’\u003c\/em\u003e - \u003cem\u003eT: The New York Times Style Magazine Australia\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOne small town, a multitude of stories.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhen the river runs dry, the town runs red.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis could be any small town. It aches under the heat of summer. It flourishes in the cooler months. Everyone knows everyone. Their families, histories, and stories are interwoven and well-known by one and all. Or at least, they think they are. But no-one sees anything quite the same way. Perceptions differ, truths are elusive, judgements have outcomes, and everything is connected. For better or for worse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a version of small-town Australia that is recognisable, both familiar and new, exploring the characters, threads, and connections that detail everyday life to reveal a much bigger story. A tapestry that makes up this place called home.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom the acclaimed author of \u003cem\u003eThe House of Youssef\u003c\/em\u003e comes this extraordinary and unique novel shining a light on Australian rural life.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e‘It is a novel of themes, textures, and interplay, seeking engagement through white space and chorus.’\u003c\/em\u003e - \u003cem\u003eThe Australian\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e‘There are times that reading these stories feels like being let in on some juicy gossip. And other times, we witness tragedy that is usually hidden from outsiders. In this way, I see \u003cem\u003eAustraliana\u003c\/em\u003e as not merely challenging the established mythology of the regions but creating a new one.’\u003c\/em\u003e​ - \u003cem\u003eSydney Review of Books\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e‘\u003cem\u003eAustraliana\u003c\/em\u003e plays with myths of Australian bush life while simultaneously restoring focus on the stories of those who live their lives in the regions. I recognise my young self and those I lived among in its pages.’\u003c\/em\u003e - \u003cem\u003eThe Conversation\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRAISE FOR \u003cem\u003eTHE HOUSE OF YOUSSEF\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e‘The unadorned style and unobtrusive realism of this book mask, at first, how experimental and original it is in other ways’ \u003cem\u003e– Sydney Morning Herald\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e‘Kassab’s prose is unsparing and frank yet unstinting’ \u003cem\u003e– Australian Book Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Arotahi Agency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48240692560108,"sku":"9781761150609","price":37.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781761150609-australiana-1.jpg?v=1787924246"},{"product_id":"politica-by-yumna-kassab-9781761152009","title":"Politica","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eLONGLISTED FOR THE MILES FRANKLIN LITERARY AWARD\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eSHORTLISTED FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND FICTION BOOK AWARD\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n‘a compelling, intricate and multifaceted tale’ – \u003ci\u003eThe Saturday Paper\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003ci\u003ePolitica\u003c\/i\u003e can’t make war make sense (what can?), but it does offer a small balm. In her book, Kassab looks horror in the eye, dignifies private desires and grieves their loss, and in doing so reminds us what being human looks like. – \u003ci\u003eMeanjin\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n‘Like an impressionist painter, Kassab uses words like brushstrokes to build a vivid picture of intertwined lives set against the continuing drumbeat of war. The narrative moves between past, present and future and uses time as an effective device to illustrate how the effects of war linger long after its cessation.’ – \u003ci\u003eBooks and Publishing\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cb\u003eA captivating literary journey that delves into the intertwined lives of a town, its people, and a region shaped by revolution and war.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\nThe war broke out and she decided to call her dad. Weeks and weeks they do not speak, and the weeks become months and then they are so many years. She imagines herself starting this story. She imagines how she will tell this story later to someone else. \u003ci\u003eWe hadn't spoken for years but then the war broke out\u003c\/i\u003e...\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\nAs conflict plays out across an unnamed region, its inhabitants deal with the fallout. Families are torn apart and brought together. A divide grows between those on either side of the war, compromises are struck as the toll of violence impacts near and far. We learn about those who are left behind and those who choose to leave in a great scattering. As the stories of those affected play out, they weave together to show the whole of a society in the most extreme of circumstances. Even after the last shot is fired, their world will never recover.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\nFrom the acclaimed author of \u003ci\u003eThe House of Youssef\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eAustraliana\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Lovers\u003c\/i\u003e comes a powerful new novel that asks again if it’s possible to ever measure the personal cost of war.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cb\u003ePRAISE FOR \u003ci\u003ePOLITICA\u003c\/i\u003e:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n‘In a 2022 interview, Kassab said a responsibility of the novelist is to “write with an eye towards humanity”. And she never falters in this, with \u003ci\u003ePolitica\u003c\/i\u003e always drawing us back to war’s immeasurable personal cost.’ – \u003ci\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n‘a rewarding tale of real people navigating war, love, loss, poverty and many other challenges, all linked by time and location. The novel asks if it is possible to ever measure the personal cost of war. Through all the stories she creates here, Kassab makes it clear that it can never be.’ – \u003ci\u003eThe Saturday Paper\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n‘an evocative literary tale’ – \u003ci\u003eAustralian Women's Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Arotahi Agency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48243705381100,"sku":"9781761152009","price":37.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781761152009-politica-1.jpg?v=1787988424"},{"product_id":"the-lovers-by-yumna-kassab-9781761153174","title":"The Lovers","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSHORTLISTED FOR THE MILES FRANKLIN LITERARY AWARD\u003cbr\u003e SHORTLISTED FOR THE PRIME MINISTER'S LITERARY AWARD FOR FICTION\u003cbr\u003e SHORTLISTED FOR THE VICTORIAN PREMIER’S AWARD FOR FICTION\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e‘her writing is poetic and reverential. The author’s understanding of love, romance and of responsibility runs deep.’ – \u003ci\u003eBooks + Publishing\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhat happens when we become used to each other, when we become bored, when we anticipate each other’s moods like the seasons cycled in a day? What happens when you are tired of me and I tire of you?\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEvery couple has a story. How they met, how they fell in love – their ups, their downs. What made them want to be in each other's arms day and night. The struggle of family expectations. The need to please each other, the desire to go their separate ways. It is about the private universe between two people as they try to hold to each other despite the barriers of geography, culture and class.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEvery couple has a beginning, a middle, and maybe an end.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Lovers\u003c\/em\u003e is an enchanting fable that explores the light and dark of a relationship – a love distilled down to its barest form. You might think you know this story. Maybe you do.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRAISE FOR \u003cem\u003eTHE LOVERS\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e‘Sometimes, Kassab shows us, love can be another word for cruelty. Sometimes the stories we hide behind reveal our deepest truths.’ – \u003ci\u003eSydney Morning Herald\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e‘Beautifully told in Yumna Kassab's poetic prose, \u003cem\u003eThe Lovers\u003c\/em\u003e is both the story of the tumultuous relationship between Amir and Jamila and an exploration of class, culture and the complex nature of love.’ – \u003ci\u003eSunday Life\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e‘The delicate power that fables hold – their universality, while retaining their specificity – is captured in \u003cem\u003eThe Lovers\u003c\/em\u003e. Ultimately, Kassab’s novel rests on the premise of the ‘impossibility of language, of being able to ever understand someone else.’’ – \u003ci\u003eArtsHub\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e‘a raw, haunting and honest look at love, relationships, and the moments that break us.’ – \u003ci\u003eMamamia\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRAISE FOR YUMNA KASSAB\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e‘the real deal’ – Favel Parrett, author of \u003ci\u003ePast The Shallows\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e‘rare it is to read a voice as crisp and authentic as Kassab’​ – Zoya Patel, author of \u003ci\u003eNo Country Woman\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e‘Kassab creates an eerie sense of place as the reader is drawn into myriad perspectives and geographies. Without doubt \u003ci\u003eAustraliana\u003c\/i\u003e is an unnerving contribution to contemporary novel writing in this continent.’ – \u003ci\u003eBooks + Publishing\u003c\/i\u003e on \u003ci\u003eAustraliana\u003c\/i\u003e​\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e‘The unadorned style and unobtrusive realism of this book mask, at first, how experimental and original it is in other ways’ – \u003ci\u003eSydney Morning Herald\u003c\/i\u003e on \u003ci\u003eThe House Of Youssef\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e‘Kassab’s prose is unsparing and frank yet unstinting’ – \u003ci\u003eAustralian Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e on \u003ci\u003eThe House Of Youssef\u003c\/i\u003e​\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Arotahi Agency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48244607156460,"sku":"9781761153174","price":27.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781761153174-the-lovers-1.jpg?v=1788005823"},{"product_id":"the-theory-of-everything-by-yumna-kassab-9781761153327","title":"The Theory of Everything","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eThe Theory of Everything\u003c\/em\u003e, Kassab realises the potential and fulfils the promise of her earlier work. This is a writer at her intellectual and poetic peak. Innovative, ambitious, unapologetically intellectual, fearlessly honest, deeply emotional. Read this book – you will be changed.\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e– Shankari Chandran, Miles Franklin–award winning author of \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChai Time at Cinnamon Gardens\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eGood News: The worst has already happened.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eBad News: Even worse is on the way.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a fictional theory, a rant, a manifesto, an engagement or disengagement with the times, a record; it is bearing witness, a dramatisation of actual events, a horror-scape, either a monologue or dialogue, a testament, travel guide, handbook, textbook, potential encyclopaedia; it is five mini-novels or else five post-novels, an epic, a drop in the ocean, an homage, a reference, one long secret handshake, an agreement, a wink; it is an explosion of form, tangential, discursive, a firming of the foundations, a lament, an absurdist comedy with realism that is as realistic as it gets; it is a spectrum, shades of black from the dark to the next shade up from white, a proliferation, a step back, a righting, a note to oneself, a line in the sand or a gust in the form of a structure-shaking gale; it is a dance (a two-footed, single-person linedance), an experiment, pure science, flicking the finger; it is, of course, backing away, crossing the street and avoiding eye contact; it is fantasy, humour, a romance without any leads, a defiance, a subdued rebellion, an anti-philosophical philosophy; it is pacifism that instigates a fight, a denouncement in the form of a laugh, an exploration, an adventure, a time lapse, a panorama, a conclusion; you may just have to read the theory because these are just alluding-to-the-theory words.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRAISE FOR \u003cem\u003eTHE THEORY OF EVERYTHING\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e‘A genre-defying work that blurs fiction, essay and manifesto to interrogate contemporary life and ideas. Fragmented and intellectually sharp, it boldly challenges narrative convention while probing power, gender and meaning.’ \u003cstrong\u003e– \u003cem\u003eWomen's Agenda\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e‘Ambitious and far-ranging in scope’ \u003cstrong\u003e– \u003cem\u003eArtshub\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e‘Kassab tackles almost everything, from gender and social inequality to love and war, and whatever else it is, this is stylish and searching writing, with an exquisite command of language holding fast through unstable experimentation with form.’ \u003cstrong\u003e– \u003cem\u003eSydney Morning Herald\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e‘Like the philosopher who is freed from the cave and can see the truth, Kassab exposes the flaws in our thinking. If a novel’s purpose is to reflect our world, this post-novel’s purpose appears to be to encourage us to question that world, to think differently, to see beyond the shadows.’ \u003cstrong\u003e– \u003cem\u003eThe Conversation\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e‘Kassab has written fireworks into these pages.’ \u003cstrong\u003e– \u003cem\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e‘Ambitious in scope and style’ \u003cstrong\u003e– \u003cem\u003eBig Issue\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e‘Kassab’s book poses questions about the novel form and answers them in ways that are continuously surprising and probing. It is both personal and expansive; introspective and ambitious.’ \u003cstrong\u003e– Kylie Mirmohamadi, author \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDiving, Falling\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Arotahi Agency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48244735803628,"sku":"9781761153327","price":37.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781761153327-the-theory-of-everything-1.jpg?v=1788011091"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/collections\/yumna-kassab.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}