Almost Visible by Michelle Sinclair

Michelle Sinclair’s first novel, Almost Visible, begins with an ending. Bárbara, in a prison cell in an undisclosed location, gives birth to the daughter she will never see again. In the pathos of this opening, we realize that this will be a story of realities, not easy solutions.

Bystander by Mike Steeves

Unattached and in his mid-thirties, Peter Simons works in client services for a multi-national corporation and is regularly dispatched to far-flung exotic locations, staying in luxury hotels for lengthy periods. His latest assignment has kept him away from home for nine months, and, as Mike Steeves’ unsettling novel Bystander opens, Peter has returned to his shabby apartment with a mix of relief and bemusement.

Pure Colour by Sheila Heti

Pure Colour tells the story of a life, from beginning to end. It is a galaxy of a novel: explosive, celestially bright, huge, and streaked with beauty. It is a contemporary bible, an atlas of feeling, and a shape-shifting epic. Sheila Heti is a philosopher of modern experience, and she has reimagined what a book can hold.