Question 7

Brought to you by Penguin.**WINNER of the Baillie Gifford Prize 2024**Beginning at a love hotel by Japan's Inland Sea and ending by a river in Tasmania, Question 7 is about the choices we make about love and the chain reaction that follows.By way of H. G. Wells and Rebecca West's affair through 1930s nuclear physics to Flanagan's father working as a slave labourer near Hiroshima when the atom bomb is dropped, this daisy chain of events reaches fission when Flanagan as a young man finds himself trapped in a rapid on a wild river not knowing if he is to live or to die.At once a love song to his island home and to his parents, this hypnotic melding of dream, history, place and memory is about how our lives so often arise out of the stories of others and the stories we invent about ourselves.'A work of non-fiction . . . but it has all the complexity of emotional heft of a great novel . . . Question 7 sets the high-water mark for what the genre [of memoir] can be' Sunday Times'There's so much . . . in Flanagan's beautiful, unclassifiable novel-cum-memoir . . . That it is a masterpiece is without question' Observer(c)2024 Richard Flanagan (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Brought to you by Penguin.**WINNER of the Baillie Gifford Prize 2024**Beginning at a love hotel by Japan's Inland Sea and ending by a river in Tasmania, Question 7 is about the choices we make about love and the chain reaction that follows.By way of H. G. Wells and Rebecca West's affair through 1930s nuclear physics to Flanagan's father working as a slave labourer near Hiroshima when the atom bomb is dropped, this daisy chain of events reaches fission when Flanagan as a young man finds himself trapped in a rapid on a wild river not knowing if he is to live or to die.At once a love song to his island home and to his parents, this hypnotic melding of dream, history, place and memory is about how our lives so often arise out of the stories of others and the stories we invent about ourselves.'A work of non-fiction . . . but it has all the complexity of emotional heft of a great novel . . . Question 7 sets the high-water mark for what the genre [of memoir] can be' Sunday Times'There's so much . . . in Flanagan's beautiful, unclassifiable novel-cum-memoir . . . That it is a masterpiece is without question' Observer(c)2024 Richard Flanagan (P)2024 Penguin Audio

**THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER** **Winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize** From one kiss comes a chain reaction – a masterpiece of memoir from the winner of the Baillie Gifford and the Booker prize ‘Extraordinary’ Sarah Perry ‘Masterpiece’ Colm Tóibín ‘Wholly original. I absolutely loved it’ David Nicholls ‘A brilliant, brilliant book’ James Rebanks By way of H. G. Wells and Rebecca West’s affair, through 1930s nuclear physics, to Flanagan’s father working as a slave labourer near Hiroshima, this chain of events culminates in a young man finding himself trapped in a rapid on a wild river, not knowing if he is to live or to die… ‘The strangest and most beautiful memoir I’ve ever read. Magnificent ' Tim Winton ‘ Flanagan’s finest book ... A brilliant meditation on the past of one man and the history that coalesced in his existence’ Guardian ‘Flanagan’s portrayal of his quiet, brave father and his loving, resilient mother is exquisite… masterful ’ Daily Telegraph ‘ Intimate, beautiful, unsparing and profound' Anna Funder

**THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER** **Winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize** From one kiss comes a chain reaction – a masterpiece of memoir from the winner of the Baillie Gifford and the Booker prize ‘Extraordinary’ Sarah Perry ‘Masterpiece’ Colm Tóibín ‘Wholly original. I absolutely loved it’ David Nicholls ‘A brilliant, brilliant book’ James Rebanks By way of H. G. Wells and Rebecca West’s affair, through 1930s nuclear physics, to Flanagan’s father working as a slave labourer near Hiroshima, this chain of events culminates in a young man finding himself trapped in a rapid on a wild river, not knowing if he is to live or to die… ‘The strangest and most beautiful memoir I’ve ever read. Magnificent ' Tim Winton ‘ Flanagan’s finest book ... A brilliant meditation on the past of one man and the history that coalesced in his existence’ Guardian ‘Flanagan’s portrayal of his quiet, brave father and his loving, resilient mother is exquisite… masterful ’ Daily Telegraph ‘ Intimate, beautiful, unsparing and profound' Anna Funder

An exquisite, genre-defying new book from the Booker Prize-winning author of The Narrow Road to the Deep North, a reckoning with the author's life and family, and the role of fiction in our times "A spectacular mixture of fierce energy and then control, care. It is a kind of reckoning, Richard Flanagan with his father and his mother, Tasmania with its past, Japan with its past, the author with himself. It seems to me a book that will have an overwhelming effect on readers." -- Colm T?ib?n, author of Long Island Sometimes I wonder why we keep returning to beginnings--why we seek the single thread we might pull to unravel the tapestry we call our life... By way of H. G. Wells and Rebecca West's affair through 1930s nuclear physics to Flanagan's father working as a slave laborer near Hiroshima when the atom bomb is dropped, this daisy chain of events reaches fission when Flanagan as a young man finds himself trapped in a rapid on a wild river not knowing if he is to live or to die. At once a love song to his island home and to his parents, this hypnotic melding of dream, history, place and memory is about how our lives so often arise out of the stories of others and the stories we invent about ourselves.

An exquisite, genre-defying new book from the Booker Prize-winning author of The Narrow Road to the Deep North, a reckoning with the author's life and family, and the role of fiction in our times "A spectacular mixture of fierce energy and then control, care. It is a kind of reckoning, Richard Flanagan with his father and his mother, Tasmania with its past, Japan with its past, the author with himself. It seems to me a book that will have an overwhelming effect on readers." -- Colm T?ib?n, author of Long Island Sometimes I wonder why we keep returning to beginnings--why we seek the single thread we might pull to unravel the tapestry we call our life... By way of H. G. Wells and Rebecca West's affair through 1930s nuclear physics to Flanagan's father working as a slave laborer near Hiroshima when the atom bomb is dropped, this daisy chain of events reaches fission when Flanagan as a young man finds himself trapped in a rapid on a wild river not knowing if he is to live or to die. At once a love song to his island home and to his parents, this hypnotic melding of dream, history, place and memory is about how our lives so often arise out of the stories of others and the stories we invent about ourselves.

**Winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize 2024** 'A work of non-fiction . . . but it has all the complexity of emotional heft of a great novel . . . Question 7 sets the high-water mark for what the genre [of memoir] can be' Sunday Times 'There's so much . . . in Flanagan's beautiful, unclassifiable novel-cum-memoir . . . That it is a masterpiece is without question' Observer This is a book about the choices we make and the chain reaction that follows . . . By way of H. G. Wells and Rebecca West's affair, through 1930s nuclear physics, to Flanagan's father working as a slave labourer near Hiroshima when the atom bomb is dropped, this daisy chain of events reaches fission when a young man finds himself trapped in a rapid on a wild river, not knowing if he is to live or to die. Flanagan has created a love song to his island home and his parents and the terrible past that delivered him to that place. Through a hypnotic melding of dream, history, science, and memory, Question 7 shows how our lives so often arise out of the stories of others and the stories we invent about ourselves. 'I was fascinated, troubled, and enchanted by this strange and extraordinary work... I can think of nothing else quite like it' Sarah Perry 'Mighty in its rage and tenderness: his most momentous book yet' Laura Cumming 'Spectacular . . . It seems to me a book that will have an overwhelming effect on readers. It certainly did on me' Colm Tóibín 'Question 7 could be Richard Flanagan's greatest yet' Guardian 'Fiercely alive and genuinely hard to put down' Mark Haddon Richard Flanagan, Winner of the Booker Prize 2014

**Winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize 2024** 'A work of non-fiction . . . but it has all the complexity of emotional heft of a great novel . . . Question 7 sets the high-water mark for what the genre [of memoir] can be' Sunday Times 'There's so much . . . in Flanagan's beautiful, unclassifiable novel-cum-memoir . . . That it is a masterpiece is without question' Observer This is a book about the choices we make and the chain reaction that follows . . . By way of H. G. Wells and Rebecca West's affair, through 1930s nuclear physics, to Flanagan's father working as a slave labourer near Hiroshima when the atom bomb is dropped, this daisy chain of events reaches fission when a young man finds himself trapped in a rapid on a wild river, not knowing if he is to live or to die. Flanagan has created a love song to his island home and his parents and the terrible past that delivered him to that place. Through a hypnotic melding of dream, history, science, and memory, Question 7 shows how our lives so often arise out of the stories of others and the stories we invent about ourselves. 'I was fascinated, troubled, and enchanted by this strange and extraordinary work... I can think of nothing else quite like it' Sarah Perry 'Mighty in its rage and tenderness: his most momentous book yet' Laura Cumming 'Spectacular . . . It seems to me a book that will have an overwhelming effect on readers. It certainly did on me' Colm Tóibín 'Question 7 could be Richard Flanagan's greatest yet' Guardian 'Fiercely alive and genuinely hard to put down' Mark Haddon Richard Flanagan, Winner of the Booker Prize 2014

An exquisite, genre-defying new book from the Booker Prize-winning author of The Narrow Road to the Deep North, a reckoning with the author's life and family, and the role of fiction in our times "A spectacular mixture of fierce energy and then control, care. It is a kind of reckoning, Richard Flanagan with his father and his mother, Tasmania with its past, Japan with its past, the author with himself. It seems to me a book that will have an overwhelming effect on readers." -- Colm T?ib?n, author of Long Island Sometimes I wonder why we keep returning to beginnings--why we seek the single thread we might pull to unravel the tapestry we call our life... By way of H. G. Wells and Rebecca West's affair through 1930s nuclear physics to Flanagan's father working as a slave laborer near Hiroshima when the atom bomb is dropped, this daisy chain of events reaches fission when Flanagan as a young man finds himself trapped in a rapid on a wild river not knowing if he is to live or to die. At once a love song to his island home and to his parents, this hypnotic melding of dream, history, place and memory is about how our lives so often arise out of the stories of others and the stories we invent about ourselves.

An exquisite, genre-defying new book from the Booker Prize-winning author of The Narrow Road to the Deep North, a reckoning with the author's life and family, and the role of fiction in our times "A spectacular mixture of fierce energy and then control, care. It is a kind of reckoning, Richard Flanagan with his father and his mother, Tasmania with its past, Japan with its past, the author with himself. It seems to me a book that will have an overwhelming effect on readers." -- Colm T?ib?n, author of Long Island Sometimes I wonder why we keep returning to beginnings--why we seek the single thread we might pull to unravel the tapestry we call our life... By way of H. G. Wells and Rebecca West's affair through 1930s nuclear physics to Flanagan's father working as a slave laborer near Hiroshima when the atom bomb is dropped, this daisy chain of events reaches fission when Flanagan as a young man finds himself trapped in a rapid on a wild river not knowing if he is to live or to die. At once a love song to his island home and to his parents, this hypnotic melding of dream, history, place and memory is about how our lives so often arise out of the stories of others and the stories we invent about ourselves.