Tessa Hadley

Tuesday 17 October - 2pm 

Bad dreams and other stories
Small acts may have large consequences.  Lives can be altered not merely by major events but by the minutiae, those missed moments and insignificant interactions that pepper our days.  The stories in Bad Dreams and Other Stories focus on crucial moments of transition, so often imperceptible to the protagonists.   

An older woman recovering from a serious illness speaks to a lonely young man; a long-time friend brings bad news to a dinner party; in 1914 a teacher in the throes of a painful affair questions her pupils’ suffragette-craze.  As Hadley illustrates, first steps into a new life can be made thoughtlessly and carelessly, often with disproportionate consequences. 

 “Few writers give me such consistent pleasure” Zadie Smith 

“Tessa Hadley recruits admirers with each book.  She writes with authority, and with delicacy: she explores nuance, but speaks plainly; she is one of those writers a reader trusts” Hilary Mantel 

Tessa Hadley review
Find out more about Tessa here

photo credit Mark Vessey