An unsparing and slippery, but thrilling and memorable novel from the fringes of urban life by cult writer Keith Ridgway.

WINNER OF THE JAMES TAIT BLACK PRIZE FOR FICTION 2022
'Remarkable' - Colm Tóibín, author of Brooklyn
'Like Finnegans Wake, only readable' - The Times

In A Shock, a clutch of more or less loosely connected characters appear, disappear and reappear. They are all of them on the fringes of London life, often clinging on - to sanity, solvency or a story - by their fingertips. With this deftly conjured high-wire act, Ridgway achieves a fine balance between drama and fidelity to his characters. The result is pin-sharp and breathtaking.

Book of the Year Selection in the Guardian, New York Times, Spectator, Hot Press and The White Review
Shortlisted for The Goldsmiths Prize

A Shock is a provocative collection of nine interlinked stories, set in south London's sultry streets. In writing about characters many would overlook, Ridgway reminds us that everyone has a story