The Axeman's Carnival
by Catherine Chidgey
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Pub Date Aug 13 2024 | Archive Date Aug 20 2024
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Description
WINNER OF THE JANN MEDLICOTT ACORN PRIZE FOR FICTION AT THE 2023 OCKHAM NEW ZEALAND BOOK AWARDS
A dazzling portrayal of humanity and the natural world that perfectly balances violence and humor
Tama is just a helpless chick when he is rescued by Marnie, and this is where his story might have ended. “If it keeps me awake,” says Marnie’s husband Rob, a farmer, “I’ll have to wring its neck.” But with Tama come new possibilities for the couple’s future. Tama can speak, and his fame is growing. Outside, in the pines, his father warns him of the wickedness wrought by humans. Indoors, Marnie confides in him about her violent marriage. The more Tama sees, the more the animal and the human worlds—and all the precarity, darkness and hope within them—bleed into one another. Like a stock truck filled with live cargo, the story moves inexorably towards its dramatic conclusion: the annual Axeman’s Carnival.
Part trickster, part surrogate child, part witness, Tama the magpie is the star of this story. Though what he says aloud to humans is often nonsensical (and hilarious), the tale he tells us weaves a disturbingly human sense. The Axeman’s Carnival is Catherine Chidgey at her finest—comic, profound, poetic and true.
“A writer of formidable resources, a deft stylist possessed of uncanny imaginative acuity.”—The Guardian
A Note From the Publisher
- For readers who loved The Animals in That Country by Laura Jean McKay and When I Hit You by Meena Kandasamy and Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt.
KEY SELLING POINTS
- From the Women’s Prize for Fiction-longlisted and Dublin Literary Award-shortlisted author of Remote Sympathy.
- Winner of the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction at the 2023 Ockham NZ Book Awards. A no. 1 international bestseller.
- Major press campaign.
Advance Praise
Long-listed for the 2024 Dublin Literary Award (for The Axeman’s Carnival and Pet)
“Funny, dark, insightful and unique, this beautifully written novel is a story and a magpie you will NEVER forget.”—Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things
“I didn’t think it was possible to fall in love with a magpie, but from the opening chapter, which is a masterclass in prose, to the final scene, I was spellbound by the foul-mouthed, wisecracking Tama and his quest to save gentle Marnie from unspeakable violence. Another tour de force from Catherine Chidgey.”—Karen Powell, author of Fifteen Wild Decembers
“The Axeman’s Carnival is both tense and disconcertingly charming. The story is filled with delightful moments but tightens with frightening inevitability to a shocking conclusion.”—Lulu Allison, author of Salt Lick
“Chidgey elegantly weaves together social commentary, magic realism, folklore and myth, and her treatment of serious themes is deft.”—Irish Times
“Questions of knowing and refusing to know, seeing but not believing, scratch at us in Chidgey’s pages. Perhaps never more effectively — or entertainingly — than in The Axeman’s Carnival.”—Financial Times
“The Axeman’s Carnival is remarkable, brilliant, a classic in the making.”—Rachael King, Newsroom
“One of our very best novelists knocks it out of the park.”—New Zealand Herald (Book of the Year)
“Two uncanny creatures, not quite wild and not quite tame, circling one another in an increasingly claustrophobic house. Both waiting for the axe to drop.”—The Conversation US
“Chidgey’s writing is masterful, and the underlying sense of dread as the story unfolds is shot through with humour and humanity. The Axeman’s Carnival is unique: poetic, profound and a powerfully compelling read from start to finish.”—Judges’ comments, Ockham NZ Book Awards 2023
Marketing Plan
Marketing & Publicity
- Print and e-galley
- National media
- Indie Next Campaign
- Trade and consumer advertising
- Library marketing
- Social media campaign
- Awards campaign
Marketing & Publicity
- Print and e-galley
- National media
- Indie Next Campaign
- Trade and consumer advertising
- Library marketing
- Social media campaign
- Awards campaign
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9798889660224 |
| PRICE | $18.00 (USD) |
| PAGES | 336 |
Available on NetGalley
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General Fiction (Adult), Literary Fiction, Multicultural Interest
