Open, Heaven

When James meets Luke, everything changes – an exhilarating tale of hidden desire and sudden freedom in the wild countryside. A GUARDIAN BEST SUMMER READ THE INSTANT TOP 10 IRISH BESTSELLER ‘An achingly beautiful story of first love’ GUARDIAN ‘Gorgeous… I promise it’s amazing!’ JACK EDWARDS ‘An exquisite tale… Superb’ SARAH PERRY James dreams of another life far away from his small village. Almost an adult, his newfound desires threaten to unravel his shy exterior. Then he meets Luke. Unkempt and handsome, charismatic and impulsive, he has been sent to stay with his aunt and uncle on a nearby farm. With the passing seasons, a bond emerges between them that transforms their lives. Yet James is never sure of Luke’s true feelings and as the end of summer nears, he has a choice to make: will he risk everything for the possibility of love? *Shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize 2026* *A Book of the Year for the Guardian , Observer , Irish Times and BBC* READERS HAVE FALLEN FOR OPEN, HEAVEN ‘I adored every single moment of this phenomenal book’ ‘The intoxicating rush of first love. Five stars!’ ‘Gorgeous. I was completely transported’ ‘Breathtakingly beautiful. A story that stays with you’ ‘Heart-breaking but also triumphant. A must-read’ ‘It made my heart hurt in the best ways’ HELEN MACDONALD ‘Seán Hewitt is the real deal’ BENJAMIN MYERS ‘Beautifully written, deeply felt’ MICHAEL MAGEE ‘Hewitt writes with such tenderness and grace’ ANNE ENRIGHT ‘Heart-rending… Propulsive’ FT ‘Gorgeous…intimate and euphoric’ COLIN WALSH Open, Heaven was an Irish top ten bestseller w/c 28 April 2025

When James meets Luke, everything changes – an exhilarating tale of hidden desire and sudden freedom in the wild countryside. A GUARDIAN BEST SUMMER READ THE INSTANT TOP 10 IRISH BESTSELLER ‘An achingly beautiful story of first love’ GUARDIAN ‘Gorgeous… I promise it’s amazing!’ JACK EDWARDS ‘An exquisite tale… Superb’ SARAH PERRY James dreams of another life far away from his small village. Almost an adult, his newfound desires threaten to unravel his shy exterior. Then he meets Luke. Unkempt and handsome, charismatic and impulsive, he has been sent to stay with his aunt and uncle on a nearby farm. With the passing seasons, a bond emerges between them that transforms their lives. Yet James is never sure of Luke’s true feelings and as the end of summer nears, he has a choice to make: will he risk everything for the possibility of love? *Shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize 2026* *A Book of the Year for the Guardian , Observer , Irish Times and BBC* READERS HAVE FALLEN FOR OPEN, HEAVEN ‘I adored every single moment of this phenomenal book’ ‘The intoxicating rush of first love. Five stars!’ ‘Gorgeous. I was completely transported’ ‘Breathtakingly beautiful. A story that stays with you’ ‘Heart-breaking but also triumphant. A must-read’ ‘It made my heart hurt in the best ways’ HELEN MACDONALD ‘Seán Hewitt is the real deal’ BENJAMIN MYERS ‘Beautifully written, deeply felt’ MICHAEL MAGEE ‘Hewitt writes with such tenderness and grace’ ANNE ENRIGHT ‘Heart-rending… Propulsive’ FT ‘Gorgeous…intimate and euphoric’ COLIN WALSH Open, Heaven was an Irish top ten bestseller w/c 28 April 2025

A stunning novel from the acclaimed young Irish poet Se?n Hewitt, a luminous and intensely evocative portrayal of two teeneagers bonding with each other over one heady, transformative year. "[ Open, Heaven ] is a searching novel orbiting pleasure, loss, and the ecstatic release of both; which is to say it's a novel about time. Which is to say it's a novel about us." --Kaveh Akbar, author of Martyr! Set in a remote village in the north of England, Open, Heaven unfolds over the course of one year in which two teenage boys meet and transform each other's lives. James--a sheltered, shy sixteen-year-old--is alone in his newly discovered sexuality, full of an unruly desire but entirely inexperienced. As he is beginning to understand himself and his longings, he also realizes how his feelings threaten to separate him from his family and the rural community he has grown up in. He dreams of another life, fantasizing about what lies beyond the village's leaf-ribboned boundaries, beyond his reach: autonomy, tenderness, sex. Then, in the autumn of 2002, he meets Luke, a slightly older boy, handsome, unkempt, who comes with a reputation for danger. Abandoned by his parents--his father imprisoned, and his mother having moved to France for another man--Luke has been sent to live with his aunt and uncle on their farm just outside the village. James is immediately drawn to him "like the pull a fire makes on the air, dragging things into it and blazing them into its hot, white centre," drawn to this boy who is beautiful and impulsive, charismatic, troubled. But underneath Luke's bravado is a deep wound--a longing for the love of his father and for the stability of family life. Open, Heaven is a novel about desire, yearning, and the terror of first love. With the striking economy and lyricism that animate his work as a poet, Hewitt has written a mesmerizing hymn to boyhood, sensuality, and love in all its forms.

A stunning novel from the acclaimed young Irish poet Se?n Hewitt, a luminous and intensely evocative portrayal of two teeneagers bonding with each other over one heady, transformative year. "[ Open, Heaven ] is a searching novel orbiting pleasure, loss, and the ecstatic release of both; which is to say it's a novel about time. Which is to say it's a novel about us." --Kaveh Akbar, author of Martyr! Set in a remote village in the north of England, Open, Heaven unfolds over the course of one year in which two teenage boys meet and transform each other's lives. James--a sheltered, shy sixteen-year-old--is alone in his newly discovered sexuality, full of an unruly desire but entirely inexperienced. As he is beginning to understand himself and his longings, he also realizes how his feelings threaten to separate him from his family and the rural community he has grown up in. He dreams of another life, fantasizing about what lies beyond the village's leaf-ribboned boundaries, beyond his reach: autonomy, tenderness, sex. Then, in the autumn of 2002, he meets Luke, a slightly older boy, handsome, unkempt, who comes with a reputation for danger. Abandoned by his parents--his father imprisoned, and his mother having moved to France for another man--Luke has been sent to live with his aunt and uncle on their farm just outside the village. James is immediately drawn to him "like the pull a fire makes on the air, dragging things into it and blazing them into its hot, white centre," drawn to this boy who is beautiful and impulsive, charismatic, troubled. But underneath Luke's bravado is a deep wound--a longing for the love of his father and for the stability of family life. Open, Heaven is a novel about desire, yearning, and the terror of first love. With the striking economy and lyricism that animate his work as a poet, Hewitt has written a mesmerizing hymn to boyhood, sensuality, and love in all its forms.

When James meets Luke, everything changes – an exhilarating tale of hidden desire and sudden freedom in the wild countryside. THE INSTANT TOP 10 IRISH BESTSELLER DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE LONGLIST 2026 ‘An achingly beautiful story of first love’ GUARDIAN ‘Superb… Transcendent’ SARAH PERRY ‘Beautifully written, deeply felt’ MICHAEL MAGEE ‘Heart-rending… Propulsive’ FINANCIAL TIMES James dreams of another life far away from his small village. Almost an adult, his newfound desires threaten to unravel his shy exterior. Then he meets Luke. Unkempt and handsome, charismatic and impulsive, he has been sent to stay with his aunt and uncle on a nearby farm. With the passing seasons, a bond emerges between them that transforms their lives. Yet James is never sure of Luke’s true feelings and as the end of summer nears, he has a choice to make: will he risk everything for the possibility of love? *A Book of the Year for the Guardian , Observer , Irish Times and BBC * READERS LOVE OPEN, HEAVEN ‘My favourite book of the year’ ‘Gorgeous. I was completely transported’ ‘The intoxicating rush of first love. Five stars!’ ‘Breathtakingly beautiful. A story that stays with you’ ‘Heart-breaking but also triumphant. A must-read’ ‘The most truthful novel about love that I have read in a long time’ ‘It made my heart hurt in the best ways’ HELEN MACDONALD ‘Hewitt writes with such tenderness and grace’ ANNE ENRIGHT ‘Desire, yearning, fear… Intensely vivid’ IRISH TIMES ‘Gorgeous… Piercing, intimate and euphoric’ COLIN WALSH ‘Seán Hewitt is the real deal’ BENJAMIN MYERS Open, Heaven was an Irish top ten bestseller w/c 28 April 2025

When James meets Luke, everything changes – an exhilarating tale of hidden desire and sudden freedom in the wild countryside. THE INSTANT TOP 10 IRISH BESTSELLER DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE LONGLIST 2026 ‘An achingly beautiful story of first love’ GUARDIAN ‘Superb… Transcendent’ SARAH PERRY ‘Beautifully written, deeply felt’ MICHAEL MAGEE ‘Heart-rending… Propulsive’ FINANCIAL TIMES James dreams of another life far away from his small village. Almost an adult, his newfound desires threaten to unravel his shy exterior. Then he meets Luke. Unkempt and handsome, charismatic and impulsive, he has been sent to stay with his aunt and uncle on a nearby farm. With the passing seasons, a bond emerges between them that transforms their lives. Yet James is never sure of Luke’s true feelings and as the end of summer nears, he has a choice to make: will he risk everything for the possibility of love? *A Book of the Year for the Guardian , Observer , Irish Times and BBC * READERS LOVE OPEN, HEAVEN ‘My favourite book of the year’ ‘Gorgeous. I was completely transported’ ‘The intoxicating rush of first love. Five stars!’ ‘Breathtakingly beautiful. A story that stays with you’ ‘Heart-breaking but also triumphant. A must-read’ ‘The most truthful novel about love that I have read in a long time’ ‘It made my heart hurt in the best ways’ HELEN MACDONALD ‘Hewitt writes with such tenderness and grace’ ANNE ENRIGHT ‘Desire, yearning, fear… Intensely vivid’ IRISH TIMES ‘Gorgeous… Piercing, intimate and euphoric’ COLIN WALSH ‘Seán Hewitt is the real deal’ BENJAMIN MYERS Open, Heaven was an Irish top ten bestseller w/c 28 April 2025

A stunning debut novel from the acclaimed young Irish poet Se?n Hewitt, reminiscent of Garth Greenwell and Justin Torres in the intensity of its evocation of sexual awakening Set in a remote village in the north of England, Open, Heaven unfolds over the course of one year in which two teenage boys meet and transform each other's lives. James -- a sheltered, shy sixteen-year-old -- is alone in his newly discovered sexuality, full of an unruly desire but entirely inexperienced. As he is beginning to understand himself and his longings, he also realizes how his feelings threaten to separate him from his family and the rural community he has grown up in. He dreams of another life, fantasizing about what lies beyond the village's leaf-ribboned boundaries, beyond his reach: autonomy, tenderness, sex. Then, in the autumn of 2002, he meets Luke, a slightly older boy, handsome, unkempt, who comes with a reputation for danger. Abandoned by his parents -- his father imprisoned, and his mother having moved to France for another man -- Luke has been sent to live with his aunt and uncle on their farm just outside the village. James is immediately drawn to him "like the pull a fire makes on the air, dragging things into it and blazing them into its hot, white centre," drawn to this boy who is beautiful and impulsive, charismatic, troubled. But underneath Luke's bravado is a deep wound -- a longing for the love of his father and for the stability of family life. Open, Heaven is a novel about desire, yearning, and the terror of first love. With the striking economy and lyricism that animate his work as a poet, Hewitt has written a mesmerizing hymn to boyhood, sensuality, and love in all its forms. A truly exceptional debut.

A stunning debut novel from the acclaimed young Irish poet Se?n Hewitt, reminiscent of Garth Greenwell and Justin Torres in the intensity of its evocation of sexual awakening Set in a remote village in the north of England, Open, Heaven unfolds over the course of one year in which two teenage boys meet and transform each other's lives. James -- a sheltered, shy sixteen-year-old -- is alone in his newly discovered sexuality, full of an unruly desire but entirely inexperienced. As he is beginning to understand himself and his longings, he also realizes how his feelings threaten to separate him from his family and the rural community he has grown up in. He dreams of another life, fantasizing about what lies beyond the village's leaf-ribboned boundaries, beyond his reach: autonomy, tenderness, sex. Then, in the autumn of 2002, he meets Luke, a slightly older boy, handsome, unkempt, who comes with a reputation for danger. Abandoned by his parents -- his father imprisoned, and his mother having moved to France for another man -- Luke has been sent to live with his aunt and uncle on their farm just outside the village. James is immediately drawn to him "like the pull a fire makes on the air, dragging things into it and blazing them into its hot, white centre," drawn to this boy who is beautiful and impulsive, charismatic, troubled. But underneath Luke's bravado is a deep wound -- a longing for the love of his father and for the stability of family life. Open, Heaven is a novel about desire, yearning, and the terror of first love. With the striking economy and lyricism that animate his work as a poet, Hewitt has written a mesmerizing hymn to boyhood, sensuality, and love in all its forms. A truly exceptional debut.