Graham Swift

A new work of fiction by Booker Prize-winning author Graham Swift

The remarkable new work of fiction from the Booker Prize-winning author of Last Orders, Waterland and Mothering Sunday 'His archly modulated, precise prose, reminiscent at times of his friend Kazuo Ishiguro’s, has lost none of its power ... immensely readable late-career Swift from start to finish, Twelve Post-War Tales is a marvel of the storyteller's art.' Financial Times ‘There can surely be no better contemporary writer to take on history’s circularities that Graham Swift. … “Growing up in the 1950s there was all the evidence of war.” Swift has said. This beautiful cluster of stories shows how vital it remains in recollection.’ Observer 'Skilful, generous and humane, these 12 tales suggest the complexity and heartbreak of being engaged on such an uncertain journey.' Guardian ‘The characters in this collection share their thoughts and memories with the reader as though with a close friend, and the warmth of their confidences balances against their sadness. We feel we’ve been in the trenches with them, even when a story has gone no farther than the living room.’ Wall Street Journal ‘[A] subtle, empathic collection written with tenderness and gentle humour’, Sydney Morning Herald ‘[S]ome of Graham Swift’s finest stories. … A clever, subtle and satisfying collection’, NZ Listener'A brilliant, illuminating collection of short fiction, perhaps the author's best’, Kirkus 'Humane, deceptively simple and utterly compelling, this might well be Swift's best book.' Daunt Books 'These stories, depth charges of love, anguish, resentment, each in their way relating to the effects of WW2, are so good. Swift at his best – and he’s on top form here – has the humanity and wry humour of William Trevor’, Patrick Gale 'Quite wonderful. Such grace and clarity - I'm filled with admiration', Philip Pullman In the aftermath of the Second World War Private Joseph Caan, a young Jewish soldier stationed in Germany, seeks the truth about lost family members; in the 1960s a father focuses on his daughter’s wedding even as the Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink of disaster; in 2001, while planes fly into the Twin Towers, a maid working for US Embassy staff in London wonders if her birth on the day of the Kennedy assassination shaped her life; and at the height of a pandemic lockdown, Dr. Cole, a retired specialist in respiratory disease, returns to work and recalls a formative childhood encounter with illness and much more. These are just a few of the challenged characters we meet in Graham Swift’s Twelve Post-war Tales. Tender, humane, funny and moving, Swift’s latest work of fiction displays his quietly commanding ability to set the personal and the ordinary against the harsh sweep of history. It is an outstanding achievement, confirming his status as one of the great and subtlest voices of our age. Praise for Swift's most recent novel, Here We Are 'A magical piece of writing: the work of a novelist on scintillating form.' Guardian ‘Here We Are smuggles within the pages of a seemingly commonplace tale depths of emotion and narrative complexity that take the breath away.’ Observer ‘The book’s power comes precisely from the fact that it performs its magic in front of your eyes, leaving nowhere to hide . . . you wonder how he does it.’ Financial Times ‘With a wizardry of his own, Swift conjures up an about-to-disappear little world and turns it into something of wider resonance.’ Sunday Times 'Swift has no equal in evoking the atmosphere of an era while probing human psychology with irony and tenderness.' L’Express, France ‘Swift doesn’t write, he whispers’, Corriere della Sera, Italy “In a dozen pages Swift can embrace a whole life”, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Germany

An exquisite new collection of stories from the Booker Prize-winning author, about lives shaped and haunted by war Here are the soldiers and doctors and veterans, wives and lovers and children, who have been affected in ways both subtle and profound by the cataclysms of our times. In the aftermath of World War II, a young Jewish private, stationed in Germany, seeks the truth about lost family members. In the 1960s, a father focuses on his daughter's wedding even as the Cuban Missile Crisis approaches the brink of global disaster. On September 11th, a maid working for U.S. Embassy staff in London wonders if her birth on the day of the Kennedy assassination determined the course of her life. And at the height of pandemic lockdown, a respiratory disease specialist comes out of retirement and is faced with a formative childhood memory. These stories show history in the making, the reverberations of each personal loss and triumph set across the sweep of decades. Tender, humane, rich with humor, grief and moments of grace and contemplation, Twelve Post-War Tales is a collection of masterpieces in miniature.

On emadepüha, 30. märts 1924, päev mil majateenijatel on lubatud minna koju ema juurde. Jane Fairchildil, kes on samuti teenija, pole aga kuhugi minna, sest tal ei ole ema, ta on orb. Pool tema emadepühast möödub naabermõisas, voodis koos sealse perepojaga, kes peaks samal päeval sööma naaberlinnas lõunat koos tulevase mõrsjaga. Jane'i ja teda seob juba seitse aastat kestnud sõprus, sest armastuseks nad seda ei nimeta. See hommikupoolik särab päikesest ja kevad tärkab ümberringi ning sellisena jääb see igaveseks meelde Jane'ile, kui temast on saanud kuulus kirjanik, sest just siis otsustati tema saatus, edasine käekäik ja kirjanikuks saamise vältimatus. See päev algas valguses ja lõppes pimeduses ning vajutas pitseri kogu tema elule. Swifti lühiromaan on ühest küljest traagiline armastuslugu ja teisest küljest mõtisklus kirjanduse olemuse üle ning seda on peetud ka tema seni kõige täiuslikumaks teoseks. Graham Swift (snd 1949) on kümne romaani, kahe novellikogu ja esseekogumiku autor. Ta õppis Cambridge'i ja Yorki ülikoolis ning on saanud arvukalt kirjandusauhindu, teiste seas Guardiani kirjanduspreemia ja Bookeri auhinna. Tema raamatuid on tõlgitud rohkem kui 30 keelde. Teda peetakse võib-olla praeguse aja parimaks inglaslikkuse ja Inglismaa käsitlejaks. Oma loomingus tegeleb ta sageli ka ajaloo ja põlvkondade konfliktide teemadega. Eesti keeles on Swiftilt varem ilmunud "Sulgpall" (1990), "Vete maa" (1998) ja "Viimsed korraldused" (1999).

FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF LAST ORDERS AND MOTHERING SUNDAY. One summer morning in 1943, lock-keeper Henry Crick finds the drowned body of a sixteen-year-old boy. Nearly forty years later, his son Tom, a history teacher, is driven by a bizarre marital crisis and the provocation of one of his students to forsake the formal teaching of history—and tell stories . . .Waterland is a classic of modern fiction: a vision of England seen through its mysterious, amphibious Fen country; a sinuous meditation on the workings of time; a tale of two families, startling in its twists and turns and universal in its reach. Compulsively readable, it is a novel of resonant depth and encyclopaedic richness, mixing human and natural history and exploring the tragic forces that take us both forwards and back. It is also a book about beer, eels, the French Revolution, the end of the world, windmills, will-o’-the-wisps, murder, love, education, curiosity and—supremely—the malign and merciful element of water.‘A quite brilliant novel’ Daily Telegraph‘Inspired’ New York Times

It is Brighton, 1959, and the theatre at the end of the pier is having its best summer season in years. Ronnie, a brilliant young magician, and Evie, his dazzling assistant, are top of the bill, drawing audiences each night. Meanwhile, Jack – Jack Robinson, as in ‘before you can say’ – is everyone’s favourite compère, a born entertainer, holding the whole show together. As the summer progresses, the off-stage drama between the three begins to overshadow their theatrical success, and events unfold which will have lasting consequences for all their futures. Rich, comic, alive and subtly devastating, Here We Are is a masterly piece of literary magicianship which pulls back the curtain on the human condition. 'He tells simple, truthful stories about what feel like real people. Here We Are is a welcome addition to a proud legacy.' The Big Issue The variety of voices and its historical and emotional reach are so finely entwined, it is as perfect and smooth as an egg. Passages leap out all the time, demanding to be reread, or committed to memory... It is perhaps too simple to say that Swift creates a form of fictional magic, but what he can do with a page is out of the ordinary, far beyond most mortals’ ken.' Rosemary Goring,The Herald'Here We Are is a subtle portrait of a vanished world, with moving passages about the problems of wartime evacuees returning to impoverished London life after the wonders of the countryside.' The Independent ‘In Here We Are, Swift does not just dwell on the pivotal moments of our lives, but traces their shockwaves both forward and back. Moving seamlessly from pre-war to post, from the events of one illusory, youthful summer to the present, we are given candid access to the innermost reflections of three people who loved and betrayed each other. The end result is the stuff of life, an enduring mystery that Ronnie, Evie, Jack - that we all - must live with. I thought it was wonderful.’ Joseph Knox, author of SirensPraise for Mothering Sunday: 'Bathed in light; and even when tragedy strikes, it blazes irresistibly… Swift’s small fiction feels like a masterpiece’ Guardian ‘Alive with sensuousness and sensuality … wonderfully accomplished, it is an achievement’ Sunday Times ‘From start to finish Swift’s is a novel of stylish brilliance and quiet narrative verve. The archly modulated, precise prose (a hybrid of Henry Green and Kazuo Ishiguro) is a glory to read. Now 66, Swift is a writer at the very top of his game’ Evening Standard ‘Mothering Sunday is a powerful, philosophical and exquisitely observed novel about the lives we lead, and the parallel lives – the parallel stories – we can never know … It may just be Swift’s best novel yet’ Observer

WINNER OF THE BOOKER PRIZE 1996 Four men once close to Jack Dodds, a London butcher, meet to carry out his peculiar last wish: to have his ashes scattered into the sea at Margate. For reasons best known to herself, Jack’s widow, Amy, declines to join them . . . On the surface a simple tale of an increasingly bizarre day’s outing, this Booker-prize winning, internationally acclaimed novel is a resonant and classic exploration of the complexity and courage of ordinary lives. Intensely local but overwhelmingly universal, faithful to the fleeting rhythms and accidental eloquence of everyday speech but also to the timeless truths of life and death, it succeeds in being comic and heartstopping, affectionate and wise, and in conferring on its stumbling, disappointed characters an enduring decency, dignity and depth. ‘A surpassing testament to Swift’s vibrant and powerful gifts’ The Times‘A triumph . . . a story about the most fundamental things of all’ Evening Standard

30 mars 1924. Det är ”mödrarnas söndag”, dagen på året då tjänstefolket får ledigt för att åka hem. En som inte åker hem är den föräldralösa Jane Fairchild, som i ställer möter sin älskare i granngodset som ekar tomt efter att bröderna dog i första världskriget. Det som händer sedan ändrar deras liv för alltid – med ekon fram till vår tid. Mödrarnas söndag rör sig mästerligt mellan det tragiska och livsbejakande. Swift har skrivit en stor liten roman om livsval och öde, en roman för alla dem som älskade ATONEMENT, DOWNTON ABBEY och STONER.‘Mothering Sunday is bathed in light; and even when tragedy strikes, it blazes irresistibly… Swift’s small fiction feels like a masterpiece’ (Guardian)‘Alive with sensuousness and sensuality…wonderfully accomplished, it is an achievement’ (Sunday Times)‘Mothering Sunday is a powerful, philosophical and exquisitely observed novel about the lives we lead, and the parallel lives – the parallel stories – we can never know: “All the scenes. All the scenes that never occur, but wait in the wings of possibility.” It may just be Swift’s best novel yet’ (Observer)

This novel of love in the world of 1950s vaudeville is a masterwork of literary magic from the Booker Prize-winning author of Last Orders and Mothering Sunday It is 1959 in Brighton, England, and the theater at the end of the famous pier is having its best summer season in years. Ronnie, a brilliant young magician, and Evie, his dazzling assistant, are top of the bill, drawing a full house every night. And Jack is everyone's favorite master of ceremonies, holding the whole show together. But as the summer progresses, the drama among the three begins to overshadow their success onstage, setting in motion events that will reshape their lives. Vividly realized, tenderly comic, and quietly shattering, Here We Are is a masterly work of literary magic.

The extraordinary new novel from the author of Mothering Sunday and winner of the Booker Prize

Vi befinner oss i Brighton sommeren 1959, og teateret på piren har sin beste sesong på årevis. Magikeren Ronnie og hans trollbindende assistent Evie framfører kveld etter kveld de mest halsbrekkende kunster, mens Jack – den perfekte entertainer – binder sammen forestillingen på spektakulært vis. På scenen er de den perfekte trio, men når scenelyset slås av, utspiller det seg et trekantdrama som overgår enhver forestilling. Da teppet faller for siste gang den sommeren, framfører Ronnie sitt fremste triks til da og forsvinner sporløst. 50 år senere stiller Evie seg de samme spørsmålene som da: Lever Ronnie, og kunne livet hennes blitt et annet? Bookerpris-vinneren Graham Swift mottok strålende kritikker for sin forrige roman Morsdag (2017), og også denne gangen beskriver han historiens og minnenes forgjengelighet. Med Her er vi åpner han dørene til en svunnen æra av magi, til et England som i etterspillet av andre verdenskrig lengter etter å bli forført, om enn for en skakket stund. «Et raffinert portrett av en svunnen verden.» The Independent«Menneskets behov for virkelighetsflukt og illusjonsmakeri, både gjennom og på grunn av minnene vi bærer på, undersøkes på elegant vis i Her er vi. Swift tilbyr dermed et øyeblikks underlig flukt inn i en magisk verden og svunnen tid, som slettes ikke er å forakte.» Anna Serafima S. Kvam, Stavanger Aftenblad«Han forteller lettfattelige, oppriktige historier om det som føles som ekte mennesker. Her er vi er et velkomment bidrag til en stolt arv.» The Bis Issue«De mange stemmene og bokens historiske og emosjonelle rekkevidde er så finmasket at overflaten blir glatt som et egg. Enkeltpassasjer skiller seg ut og krever å bli gjenlest eller fester seg til minnet … å si at Swift skaper en form for fiksjonell magi er kanskje å forsimple det hele, men det han skaper ut av én side er ekstraordinært, langt ut over hva vanlige dødelige kan begripe.» The Herald«Her er vi er et raffinert portrett av en svunnen verden, med bevegende passasjer om de evakuerte som etter andre verdenskrig, som etter en magisk tilværelse på landet vender tilbake til et fattigslig byliv i London.» The Independent«Som med alle av Swifts bøker, er det de øyeblikkene av stille, udramatiske sinnsstemninger som blir ved deg.» Sunday Express«En dempet, skjellsettende og magisk roman.» Telegraph«På magisk vis maner Swift fram en verden som er i ferd med å forsvinne og skaper det om til noe som resonnerer bredt.» Sunday Times

Brighton 1959. Ronnie, en briljant ung trollkarl, och Evie, hans assistent, gör varje kväll succé på teatern med ett halsbrytande illusionsnummer. Bredvid står konferencieren Jack, den borne entertainern, som håller i alla trådar. Men allt eftersom sommaren fortskrider växer dramatiken bakom scenen mellan de tre och efterspelet kommer att pågå för alltid. Här är vi är precis som hyllade föregångaren Mödrarnas söndag ett komprimerat drama om livets avgörande ögonblick, ett litterärt illusionsnummer av högsta klass.

The sensational new novel from the winner of the Booker Prize It is Brighton, 1959, and the theatre at the end of the pier is having its best summer season in years. Ronnie, a brilliant young magician, and Evie, his dazzling assistant, are top of the bill, drawing audiences each night. Meanwhile, Jack - Jack Robinson, as in `before you can say' - is everyone's favourite compere, a born entertainer, holding the whole show together. As the summer progresses, the off-stage drama between the three begins to overshadow their theatrical success, and events unfold which will have lasting consequences for all their futures. Rich, comic, alive and subtly devastating, Here We Are is a masterly piece of literary magicianship which pulls back the curtain on the human condition. Praise for Mothering Sunday: 'Bathed in light; and even when tragedy strikes, it blazes irresistibly... Swift's small fiction feels like a masterpiece' Guardian `Alive with sensuousness and sensuality ... wonderfully accomplished, it is an achievement' Sunday Times `From start to finish Swift's is a novel of stylish brilliance and quiet narrative verve. The archly modulated, precise prose (a hybrid of Henry Green and Kazuo Ishiguro) is a glory to read. Now 66, Swift is a writer at the very top of his game' Evening Standard `Mothering Sunday is a powerful, philosophical and exquisitely observed novel about the lives we lead, and the parallel lives - the parallel stories - we can never know ... It may just be Swift's best novel yet' Observer

WINNER OF THE BOOKER PRIZE 1996The classic edition of one of the 20th Century's finest novels Four men once close to Jack Dodds, a London butcher, meet to carry out his peculiar last wish: to have his ashes scattered into the sea at Margate. For reasons best known to herself, Jack’s widow, Amy, declines to join them . . . On the surface a simple tale of an increasingly bizarre day’s outing, this Booker-prize winning, internationally acclaimed novel is a resonant and classic exploration of the complexity and courage of ordinary lives. Intensely local but overwhelmingly universal, faithful to the fleeting rhythms and accidental eloquence of everyday speech but also to the timeless truths of life and death, it succeeds in being comic and heartstopping, affectionate and wise, and in conferring on its stumbling, disappointed characters an enduring decency, dignity and depth. ‘A surpassing testament to Swift’s vibrant and powerful gifts’ The Times‘A triumph . . . a story about the most fundamental things of all’ Evening Standard

FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF LAST ORDERS AND MOTHERING SUNDAY, reissued for the first time in Scribner?The classic edition of one of the 20th Century's finest novels by the winner of The Booker Prize One summer morning in 1943, lock-keeper Henry Crick finds the drowned body of a sixteen-year-old boy. Nearly forty years later, his son Tom, a history teacher, is driven by a bizarre marital crisis and the provocation of one of his students to forsake the formal teaching of history—and tell stories . . .Waterland is a classic of modern fiction: a vision of England seen through its mysterious, amphibious Fen country; a sinuous meditation on the workings of time; a tale of two families, startling in its twists and turns and universal in its reach. Compulsively readable, it is a novel of resonant depth and encyclopaedic richness, mixing human and natural history and exploring the tragic forces that take us both forwards and back. It is also a book about beer, eels, the French Revolution, the end of the world, windmills, will-o’-the-wisps, murder, love, education, curiosity and—supremely—the malign and merciful element of water.‘A quite brilliant novel’ Daily Telegraph‘Inspired’ New York Times

As a novelist, Graham Swift delights in the possibilities of the human voice, imagining his way into the minds and hearts of an extraordinary range of characters.