The Birdcatcher

A FINALIST FOR THE 2022 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD

''A fascinating meditation on Black female creativity from the author of Corregidora and Palmares . . . Vivid characters shimmer through the pages'' Suzi Feay, GUARDIAN

''I am living on the white-washed island of Ibiza with my friend Catherine Shuger, a sculptor who has been declared legally insane, and her husband, Ernest. Standing on the terrace, sheltered in the smell of oranges and eucalyptus, washed in sunlight, you''d swear this was a paradise. But to tell the truth the place is full of dangers. You see, Catherine sometimes tries to kill her husband. It has been this way for years . . . My name''s Amanda Wordlaw. Wonderful name for a writer, isn''t it? . . . I guess I''m sort of a choice companion for the Shugers - professional watcher and listener that I am. It''s like they need someone else to witness the shit, the spectacle they make of themselves.''

''Gayl Jones constructs a nov