A man returns to his hometown to clear out the flat of his recently deceased mother. While there, he cannot resist visiting his former lover. As the storm rages in the night outside, he finds in the man’s embrace some kind of quiet; some kind of home.

As we are drawn into the narrator’s past, we see how a childhood marked by abuse and a life lived on the edges can shape someone – and what respite and beauty can be found in love and trust. Unsentimental yet aching with longing and vulnerability, Angelo Tijssens’ The Edges is a deeply humane, moving and beautiful debut.

Angelo will be here to discuss the book alongside his translator Michele Hutchison. They will be in conversation with Tom Marshman. Presented by bookhaus.'Part of Flip Through Flanders, presented by Flanders Literature'

Angelo Tijssens studied theatre at the Antwerp Conservatorium. He was director Lukas Dhont’s co-writer on award-winning feature films Girl and Close. De randen (The Edges) is his debut novel. It has been translated into Spanish, French and German, won the jury prize at the Prix Roman Gay in France and was shortlisted for the Bronzen Uil in the Netherlands. He lives in Antwerp.

Michele Hutchison is a British writer and translator, mainly of Dutch-language literature. She won the 2020 International Booker Prize for her translation of The Discomfort of Evening by Lucas Rijneveld, which according to the Booker website her "striking translation captures in all its wild, violent beauty"

Tom Marshman has been a practising artist for 21 years, and produced over 60 projects, across many mediums, including museum audio-tours, theatre & cabaret.

‘A book that feels like heartache – at once tender & violent, intimate & lyrical, The Edges conjures itself in flowing temporal rhythms, immersing the reader in the night-lit, wintery ache of love.’ Seán Hewitt

‘Bursts with sensuality & deep emotion . . . The feelings are timeless, & portrayed in evocative, pared-back style.’ Telegraph

‘The Edges had me gripped from the very start. Tijssens has created a beguiling world filled with reckoning and melancholic sensuality. A masterfully crafted novella that leaves you wanting more.’ Tomasz Jędrowski

‘A hovering wounded story of unending love and fear and pain that saturates the reader in silence and memory . . . Unmissable.’ David Hayden

‘A deeply affecting meditation on the deprivation of love. Like a meeting of Édouard Louis and Garth Greenwell.’ Michael Amherst

‘A powerful gem, written with great precision, lurching between love and violence.’ De Standaard

‘Succinct and understated writing, deeply human and full of suppressed anguish.’ Feeling

‘A hit. I’m hugely impressed by this strong debut.’ Het Nieuwsblad

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