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Mohrbooks Literary Agency
Sebastian Ritscher
Original language
English
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EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM WILL SOMEDAY BE DEAD

Emily Austin

For fans of Ottessa Moshfegh, Jenny Offill and Halle Butler, EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM WILL SOMEDAY BE DEAD is told from the perspective of a pathologically anxious, morbid 27 year-old woman who stumbles into a job as receptionist for a Catholic Church where she obsesses over her predecessor's suspicious death.
Responding to a flyer for free therapy, Gilda finds herself on the steps of St. Rigobert's Catholic church. Too embarrassed to contradict Father Jeff, who assumes she's there for a job interview, Gilda is hired to replace the elderly, recently deceased receptionist Grace Moppet.

In between trying to learn the lines to Catholic mass and hide her new maybe-girlfriend Eleanor, Gilda strikes up an email correspondence with Grace's old friend Rosemary Reeves. But she can't tell Rosemary that Grace is dead (how to say it? Grace is no longer with us - no, too vague! Grace is dead - agh, too blunt!) so Gilda decides to impersonate Grace.

When the police discover suspicious circumstances surrounding Grace's death, Gilda might have to reveal the true extent of her own mortifying existence...

With its deadpan wit, Emily Austin's crackling debut is for any reader who has ever felt like an outsider, watching the rituals of daily life unfold as if through binoculars. Gilda is just doing her best to stay afloat - and really, aren't we all?

Emily Austin is a Canadian writer. She is the recipient of a 2020 writing grant from the Canada Council for the Arts to aid in the completion of her feminist LGBTQ poetry collection rewriting biblical stories. She lives in Ottawa.
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Published 2021-07-01

Comments

While the narrator is anxious beyond measure, the prose is self-assured - brisk and effortless, moving through time and space with ease. At its core, the novel is about the fragility of human life, kept fresh with an intriguing mystery and subtle moments of tenderness... a delightful read.

Everyone in this book will touch your heart. Austin's writing is spare yet exciting, each page sparkles with keen observation about the fleeting nature of life, yes, but also our profound ability to make lasting impact on those around us. I already can't wait to read what she writes next.

Exuberant... a brisk story underpinned by a vibrant cast.

Hilarious, relatable, exasperating, and endearing. For all readers of fiction.

Readers will find themselves rooting for the lovable but traumatized heroine.

A fresh and funny debut with a quirky deadpan narrator you can't help rooting for. Her wry and endearing voice springs from every page as you turn them faster and faster. Bravo, Emily Austin! Comically brilliant.

Introducing the bumbling, anxious, helplessly kindhearted heroine we all need right now. Gilda might be an accidental Catholic, a lapsed lesbian, and an inept receptionist, but she's awfully good at helping us reckon - hilariously, tenderly - with our impending deaths.

Gilda, Emily Austin's anxious and endearing hero, is a dream. It's impossible not to root for her as she navigates love, religion, mental health and everything in between. Too often our heroes are bigmouths who take up outsized space in the world. Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead redefines bravery... Turn to any page in this lovely debut and you'll meet a tsunami of joy.

UK: Atlantic Books ; Italy and Spain: Blackie ; Poland: Proszynski ; Portuguese (P): 20/20 Editora ; Serbia: Odiseja

The perfect blend of macabre and funny.

Emily Austin's protagonist, Gilda - an atheist, animal-loving lesbian who has worried about death since childhood - spoke directly to the deepest, darkest parts of myself. Did I mention that she's also hilarious? This is not just a tender-hearted story, it swerves like a thriller, and I couldn't put it down.

A luminous novel, whose humor, wisdom and tenderness shine through on every page. Emily Austin writes with a perfectly-gauged lightness of touch, deftly balancing perceptive musings on life and death with scenes that make you laugh out loud. Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead hits that sweet spot: a fun, page-turner of a novel that engages both heart and head. I was captivated by it.

Dark, edgy humor and starting to buzz.

We don't deserve an author as insightful and empathetic as Emily Austin. Through the inner dialogue of Gilda, our painfully human heroine, Austin connects us with the best and worst parts of being a person while reminding us that even our darkest moments can lead to extraordinary revelations. I missed Gilda as soon as I finished the last page, and am already counting down to Austin's next book.

I cackled and cringed in recognition while following the exploits of Gilda, who is plagued by intrusive thoughts about death and the absurdity of the human condition. Emily Austin is a unique and wry writer, and her debut novel manages to be both hilarious and profound, a winning combination.