Faber to publish new novel by Rachel Cusk

Second Place, the new novel by the internationally acclaimed author of the Outline trilogy, will be published on 6 May in hardback, ebook and audio editions.

Alex Bowler, Publisher, acquired UK & Commonwealth and audio rights from Sarah Chalfant at the Wylie Agency. Farrar, Straus and Giroux will publish simultaneously in the US.

A woman invites a famed artist to the remote coastal landscape where she lives. Powerfully drawn to his paintings, she believes his vision may penetrate the mystery at the centre of her life. But as a long, dry summer sets in, his provocative presence soon twists the human patterns of her secluded household.

Second Place is a fable of female fate and male privilege, and a story of unfathomable attractions. Modern and timeless, it reminds us of art’s seduction and elemental power – to both save and destroy.  

Alex Bowler, Faber Publisher, says:

Second Place tells the classical story of an interloper, arriving to upend a life — it is a timeless book, dangerous somehow, masterful, and totally distinct.

Praise for the Outline trilogy:

‘A landmark in twenty-first-century English literature.’ Observer

‘Precise and haunting . . . Unforgettable.’ Jenny Offill

‘Achieves a kind of formal perfection . . . masterly.’ Sally Rooney

‘A work of stunning beauty, deep insight, and great originality.’ Monica Ali

Rachel Cusk is the author of the Outline trilogy, the memoirs A Life’s Work and Aftermath, and several other works of fiction and non-fiction. She is a Guggenheim fellow. She lives in Paris.