Queenie

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA FIRST NOVEL AWARD

LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION

'Hilarious, compelling, painful, enlightening, honest. I loved it' - Dolly Alderton

'Brilliant, timely, funny, heartbreaking' - Jojo Moyes

'A deliciously funny, characterful, topical and thrilling novel for our times' - Bernardine Evaristo, WINNER OF THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE

Meet Queenie.

She just can't cut a break. Well, apart from one from her long term boyfriend, Tom. That's just a break though. Definitely not a break up. Stuck between a boss who doesn't seem to see her, a family who don't seem to listen (if it's not Jesus or water rates, they're not interested), and trying to fit in two worlds that don't really understand her, it's no wonder she's struggling.

She was named to be queen of everything. So why is she finding it so hard to rule her own life?

A darkly comic and bitingly subversive take on life, love, race and family, Queenie will have you nodding in recognition, crying in solidarity and rooting for this unforgettable character every step of the way.

Perfect for fans of Dolly Alderton, Sally Rooney, Diana Evans and Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

'This is an important, timely and disarming novel, thirst-quenching and long overdue: one that will be treasured by "any type of black girl" and hordes of other readers besides.' - Guardian

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LONGLISTED FOR THE JHALAK PRIZE

SHORTLISTED FOR WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR

SHORTLISTED FOR FOYLES BOOK OF THE YEAR

BLACKWELL'S DEBUT NOVEL OF THE YEAR

NAMED ONE OF THE TIMES, GUARDIAN, SUNDAY TIMES, DAILY MAIL AND EVENING STANDARD'S BEST BOOKS OF 2019

Review: Hilarious, compelling, painful, enlightening, honest. I loved it. -- Dolly Alderton

Queenie is a masterclass in how to write accessible political fiction about race and gender. Funny, relatable, sad, and hopeful; Candice Carty-Williams is a writer to watch. -- Christie Watson

Brilliant, timely, funny, heartbreaking -- Jojo Moyes

Funny, wise and of the moment, this book and this writer are the ones to watch -- Kit de Waal

Queenie has all the things you want in a debut novel - a startlingly fresh voice, characters you fall in love with from the very first page, and a joyous turn of phrase that makes this book almost impossible to put down. In turns hilariously funny and quietly devastating, Queenie is an important, timely story. -- Louise O'Neill

Candice Carty-Williams is a fantastic new writer who has written a deliciously funny, characterful, topical and thrilling novel for our times. -- Bernardine Evaristo

Adorable, funny, heartbreaking -- Nina Stibbe

Queenie is the sort of novel you just can't stop talking about and want everyone you know to read. Snort your tea out funny one moment and utterly heart-breaking the next ... I absolutely loved it -- AJ Pearce

Hilarious and off the wall and tender -- Nikesh Shukla

Candice gives so generously with her joy, pain and humour ... a beautiful and compelling book -- Afua Hirsch

I ate this up in one greedy, joyous gulp. I loved Queenie and was cheering her on all the way -- Cathy Rentzenbrink

I was engrossed and loved Queenie - her humour, her pain, her politics, her friends, her family! -- Diana Evans

A really special book with much to say about black female identity, sexual politics, group chats & emotional becoming in a way that feels totally unforced. Filthy, funny & profound -- Sharlene Teo

Queenie is the best mate we all want - funny, sharp and more than a little vulnerable. I loved climbing inside her mind and wish I could have stayed longer. I adored this novel -- Stacey Halls

Candice Carty Williams is my new favourite writer and she will be yours, too...I needed this book in my early twenties. I have never felt so seen in fiction. My heart is full. -- Alexandra Sheppard

I enjoyed Queenie a lot; sharp, relatable, and incredibly evocative -- Jenny Colgan

This smart, funny, and tender debut embraces a modern woman's messiness. -- starred review * Booklist *

A black Bridget Jones, perfectly of the moment. -- starred review * Kirkus *

One of the buzziest debuts of 2019 * THE GUARDIAN *

This year welcomes Candice Carty-Williams to the literary scene. In 2016, best-selling author Jojo Moyes offered the use of her rural cottage to a wannabe novelist trying to finish a book; she selected Candice from more than 600 applicants. * GRAZIA *

perfect for anyone who loved Fleabag * MAIL ON SUNDAY *

Incredibly funny, this is the book that everyone will be talking about. * CLOSER *

This debut is original, heart-breaking, funny and clever, and also carries many important messages... [this] book blew my mind in all the best ways. I'm still rooting for Queenie long after turning the final page. * DAILY MAIL *

We are irresistibly drawn into Queenie's world by a romcom which is wry and often hilarious. * DAILY MIRROR *

A candid and funny, no-holds-barred exploration of a young black Woman's life... Carty- Williams is a talented writer with a fresh perspective that the publishing industry desperately needs. Joyous, memorable and necessary. * EVENING STANDARD *

This is an important, timely and disarming novel, thirst-quenching and long overdue: one that will be treasured by "any type of black girl" and hordes of other readers besides. * GUARDIAN *

A blistering blend of funny, filthy, frank and dark, this is the mark of a true voice at work. * HEAT *

A delight from start to finish... a little bit of Fleabag but less double-barrelled and more relatable * I *

[A] smart and breezy comic debut * OBSERVER *

Honest and heartfelt * PSYCHOLOGIES *

Smart, thoughtful and funny * RED *

We are irresistibly drawn into Queenie's world by this fresh romcom which is wry and often hilarious, even when it goes to some dark places. * SUNDAY EXPRESS *

Filled with raw emotion tempered with wry humour, this debut is bitter-sweet. * SUNDAY MIRROR *

This topical, timely debut's bracing frankness has a blazing purpose... vital and often funny * SUNDAY TIMES *

This is a funny, clever, heartbreaking lightning bolt of a first novel, by a writer bristling with talent. * THE TIMES *

The plot spoke to my soul...Queenie's journey as a millennial is relatable on so many levels. I'm so besotted with [Queenie] that I'm heavily delaying finding out how this enchanting tale ends. It'll be a bittersweet day when it finally arrives. -- Eni Subair * Refinery29` *

This is an amazing novel about what it means to be a black girl whose world is falling apart and needs to find the strength to put it back together -- Roxane Gay