'A gut punch of a novel' BOBBY PALMER

'Thrillingly alive' ANDREW McMILLAN

'Everyone should read this' JUSTIN MYERS

'A storm of a novel' LUCY ROSE

A powerful new novel following a young man as he weighs up the life of safety that his parents want for him and another path on the streets outside his door, from the acclaimed author of Good Intentions.

Amir has grown up in Alum Rock, Birmingham, under the care of his sensible older brother, Bilal, and his cousin Saqib, born just a few days before Amir. Alum Rock can be a troubled place, but Amir has managed to keep his head down, worked hard and stayed out of trouble ... until now.

When Saqib is killed in a gang fight and Bilal announces his engagement, Amir suddenly loses the two men who keep him grounded. Amir's university grades are collapsing, he's running out of money, and pressure mounts from every direction. As tensions flare, the friends left around him start to draw Amir into their more dangerous pursuits, and the family ties that have bound him so completely begin to unravel. Amir decides he only has himself to rely on and must take his future into his own hands.

This is a blistering story of social expectations and social condemnation, of dead ends and divided loyalties, and of what's left behind when you have nothing left to lose.

'An unflinching meditation on fractured loyalties ... Reminiscent of the great modernists, Ali has written a quietly seething novel' Zain Khalid, author of Brother Alive

'One of the most exciting writers working right now' Bobby Palmer, author of Isaac and the Egg

'I was blown away ... Heartbreaking, captivating and real' Justin Myers, author of The Glorious Dead

'This is a novel that will stay with you forever' Saima Mir, author of The Khan

'Devastating ... propulsive ... Ali once again wields his enthralling, singular voice' Gaar Adams, author of Guest Privileges

'Brilliantly involving ... Mesmerising' Harriet Vyner, author of Among Ruins

'Tender and deeply human' Lucy Rose, author of The Lamb

A powerful new novel of family and ambition - 'A gut punch of a novel' Bobby Palmer

About the Author

Kasim Ali was born and raised in Alum Rock, Birmingham. He is the author of the debut novel Good Intentions, has written fiction for BBC Radio 4 and has a column at The Bookseller. His short fiction has been longlisted for the 4th Estate and Guardian 4thWrite Short Story Prize, and Good Intentions was shortlisted for the Mo Siewcharran Prize. He works as an editor in publishing and now lives in London.

Reviews

Praise for Who Will Remain:

'A novel that feels thrillingly alive; bursting with the complicated beauty of real life, life that is turned into literature by the deft and easy skill of Ali's writing' Andrew McMillan, author of Pity

'Who Will Remain is an unflinching meditation on fractured loyalties and survival when the anchors of self begin to slip. Reminiscent of the great modernists, Ali has written a quietly seething novel - beautiful in its clarity - about how the sediment of our choices hardens into the terrain of our lives' Zain Khalid, author of Brother Alive

'A storm of a novel - intimate in its portrayal of identity, community, and masculinity. Though richly layered, it's tender and deeply human' Lucy Rose, author of The Lamb

'I was blown away by Who Will Remain. Kasim's passion for his story and characters shines from every page. The entire book felt alive. Heartbreaking, captivating and real - everyone should read this' Justin Myers, author of The Glorious Dead

'I loved this book. Searching and expansive in scope, with shades of Caledonian Road. A gut punch of a novel from one of the most exciting writers working right now' Bobby Palmer, author of Isaac and the Egg

'Who Will Remain is a stirring story of love and loss that opens the door to the rarely seen inner world of British Pakistani men and the weight of social expectations they carry. A master of his craft, Kasim Ali writes with a tenderness that quietly breaks the heart. This is a novel that will stay with you forever' Saima Mir, author of The Khan

'Who Will Remain is a devastating snarl of ambition, power and mimetic desire ... With prose both kinetic and finely wrought, Kasim Ali once again wields his enthralling, singular voice' Gaar Adams, author of Guest Privileges

'I could see no turning away from the ultimate, inevitable end ... Mesmerising' Harriet Vyner, author of Among Ruins

Book Information
ISBN 9780008450595
Author Kasim Ali
Format Hardback
Page Count 320
Imprint Fourth Estate Ltd
Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
Weight(grams) 270g
Dimensions(mm) 222mm * 141mm * 23mm