Lost for Words

'Hilarious, elegant and written with effortless insight' Guardian

Each of the judges of the Elysian Prize for literature has a reason for accepting the job: the bored politician, the media personality, the Oxbridge academic and the civil servant with literary ambitions of her own. Meanwhile, a host of authors are desperate for Elysian glory, including serial heart-breaker Katherine Burns, lovelorn existentialist Sam Black, and Sonny, convinced that his magnum opus, The Mulberry Elephant, will take the literary world by storm.

Thought-provoking and endlessly entertaining, Lost for Words cuts to the quick of some of the deepest questions about the place of art in our celebrity-obsessed culture, wondering how we can ever hope to recognize real talent when everyone has an agenda.

'A long-overdue, laugh-out-loud satire on the whole business of literary prizes' Evening Standard

'Shot through with moments of profundity and grace' Irish Times

'Fun, black and brilliant stuff' The Times