With these eleven short stories, Irina Denezkhina announces herself as the fresh voice of Russian literature. Mining the themes of teenage sex, drugs, violence and music, she tells it like it is for Russia's new generation, brought up in a complex post-Communist world where the ideological influences are more MTV than Marx.

A young soldier on leave from the Chechen war laments the meaninglessness of civvie life - 'all that goddamned self-expression' - whilst his girlfriend ponders the elegant arch of her best friend's eyebrows; a teacher at a summer camp is appalled, disgusted and frightened in turn by her out-of-control charges, and the punishment she could receive at the hands of their powerful parents; a suicidal teenager finds salvation in the unlikely duo of a beefy security guard and his Rottweiler, and Death visits an internet chat room, politely accepting the offer of a cup of tea.

Full of energy, controversy, cruelty and humour, this extraordinary debut toys with the possibilities of language and perception to give a snapshot of Russia's youth and its' struggles to grow up, connect, and, ultimately, love.

The stunning debut that established Irina Denezhkina as one of the most exciting talents in contemporary Russian literature.

About the Author
Irina Denezhkina was born in 1981 and lives in Yekaterinburg. Since the publication in 2002 of Give Me: Songs for Lovers, she has become a star in Russia and her book has become a bestseller. In 2005, she was runner up in the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize and in 2008, she was the recipient of Romania's Ovid Festival Prize, awarded to a prominent young talent.

Reviews
Hilarious, heartbreaking glimpses of Russian youth seeking solace in sex, drugs, drink * Independent *
The scenes Denezhkina paints are vividly hued, juicy and mouthwateringly acid... A promising start... Exhilirating * New York Times *
Irina is the heroine of a generation whose parents were orphaned by Socialism. She has learned a harsh and pitiless version of Capitalism: 'No one owes anybody anything' is the obsessive mantra of her characters * La Stampa *



Book Information
ISBN 9780701176747
Author Irina Denezhkina
Format Paperback
Page Count 192
Imprint Chatto & Windus
Publisher Vintage Publishing
Weight(grams) 209g
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 135mm * 14mm