A stunning debut on queer love, betrayal and survival in Elizabethan England. Perfect for fans of Hilary Mantel and Maggie O'Farrell.
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'Vivid, punchy, brilliantly original' SUNDAY TIMES
'Hugely impressive, visceral and moving' FINANCIAL TIMES
'Imaginative, atmospheric, and heart-poundingly tense' NEIL BLACKMORE
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Kit Marlowe: playwright, poet, lover.

In the plague-stricken streets of Elizabethan England, Kit flirts with danger, leaving a trail of enemies and old flames in his wake. His plays are a roaring success; he seems destined for greatness.

But the queen's eyes are everywhere and the air is laced with paranoia. When Marlowe is arrested on charges of treason, heresy and sodomy - all of which are punishable by death - he is released on bail with the help of Thomas Walsingham, a man he presumes to be his friend, but who has in fact hired the infamous assassin Robin Poley to take care of Marlowe, fearing his own sins may come to light. Now, with the queen's spies, the vengeful Baines, and the double-crossing Poley closing in, Marlowe's last friend in the world is Ingram Frizer, a total stranger who is obsessed with his plays, and who will, within ten days' time, become first Marlowe's lover, and then his killer.

Richly atmospheric, emotionally devastating and heartrendingly imagined, Lightborne is a tender, thrilling tale of one of our most famous playwrights, and a love that flourishes within the margins.
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More praise for Lightborne

'Exerts a powerful pull' IRISH TIMES
'The kind of brilliant writing that rescues historical fiction from the museum' JOSEPH O'CONNOR
'A deeply impressive achievement, meticulously researched and fabulously rendered' NIALL BOURKE

About the Author
Hesse Phillips' debut novel Lightborne was a finalist in the Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair 2022. Their poetry and prose have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. They have a PhD in Drama from Tufts University and are a graduate of Grub Street Boston's intensive Novel Incubator program. Hesse was born and raised in rural Pennsylvania but now lives in Spain with their wife and two rescue dogs.

Reviews
Other works of fiction have been written about the turbulent life and still not fully explained death of the Elizabethan dramatist Christopher Marlowe... Probably none has demonstrated the erudition and intensity of Hesse Phillips's debut novel... Told in vivid, punchy prose, Lightborne is a brilliantly original take on a familiar story * Sunday Times HISTORICAL BOOK OF THE MONTH *
Dazzling... A hugely impressive, visceral and moving portrait of one of the era's most captivating and mysterious characters. * Financial Times *
Exerts a powerful pull... Breathes new life into familiar images of the period * Irish Times *
As bloody and brilliant as the great Marlowe's plays... outrageously entertaining * CrimeReads *
A wonderfully vivid and edgy piece of storytelling, the kind of brilliant writing that rescues historical fiction from the museum * Joseph O'Connor, author of MY FATHER'S HOUSE *
Imaginative, atmospheric, and heart-poundingly tense, time is running out for Christopher Marlowe in this excellent debut. He seeks refuge from his enemies in the arms of his new lover, but is Frizer as much danger as solace? Forget all the polite queer historical novels that tell no truths - here is one boldly full of them. * Neil Blackmore, author of RADICAL LOVE *
A deliciously complex, vivid portrait of a violent and fascinating period, with an addictively charismatic cast of characters. Heart-wrenching, bold and earthy, this book gripped me and wouldn't let me go. * Leon Craig, author of PARALLEL HELLS *
Absolutely fantastic. It is a deeply impressive achievement, meticulously researched and fabulously rendered... Genuinely reminiscent of the likes Hilary Mantel or Ken Follett. * Niall Bourke, author of LINE *



Book Information
ISBN 9781805460398
Author Hesse Phillips
Format Paperback
Page Count 448
Imprint Atlantic Books
Publisher Atlantic Books