Sussie Anie has been longlisted for the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award
The Authors’ Club have announced their longlist for the annual ‘Best First Novel Award’ and they’ve included Sussie Anie’s TO FILL A YELLOW HOUSE!
The Best First Novel prize is open to any debut novel written in English and published in the UK between 1 Jan and 31 Dec 2022. The winning novel is selected by this year’s guest adjudicator Louisa Young from a shortlist drawn up by a panel of Authors’ Club members, chaired by Lucy Popescu.
The shortlist will be revealed on Monday 20th March and the winner will be announced on Wednesday 24th May.
Congratulations to Sussie Anie! We’re so proud.
About To Fill A Yellow House:
When Kwasi and his family move abruptly from one side of London to the other, he sets out to explore his new home. Escaping the watchful eyes of Ma and Da and his irrepressible Aunties, he discovers the local high street and a hidden river. Back at the yellow house, he spends hours drawing, distracting himself from thoughts of the new school that awaits.
As the years pass, the high street remains a source of fascination for Kwasi. But behind the ever-changing shopfronts, it's a different story. Business is slow and times are getting tougher. Widower Rupert has been trying to hold on to the dreams he and his wife poured into their eclectic charity shop, The Chest of Small Wonders, but now he is close to giving up.
One October night, Kwasi finds himself in trouble and takes refuge in the Chest, and an unexpected friendship begins. As he and Rupert unite to save the shop, they each find a sense of belonging. But old patterns are hard to change, and as tensions around them escalate, difficult choices lie ahead.
Lyrical, witty, moving and timely, To Fill a Yellow House is a story of community, friendship and the power of creativity and connection. It is as vibrant and surprising as the city it is set in and marks the arrival of a bright and bold new talent.