Temper

"There’s a gap where my sense of place should be. It’s quite a useful one sometimes. It allows me to sit on the cusp of an opinion."

Following a move to the Netherlands, a young woman dissects the developments of her new life: awkward exchanges with the people she meets, days spent alone freelancing in her apartment, her confrontation with boredom and unease.

In her newfound isolation, she develops an unusual friendship with Colette, a woman she neither likes nor can keep away from. As her feelings of dislocation grow, larger anxieties about her purpose – or lack thereof – begin to encroach. And underneath it all, a burgeoning frustration bubbles.

Exploring loneliness, self-worth, and disconnection with head-nodding accuracy, Phoebe Walker's debut novel ´Temper´ is perfect for fans of Ottessa Moshfegh's ´My Year of Rest and Relaxation´.

Originally from Northumberland, Phoebe has lived in both London and the Netherlands and is now based in Manchester. Her debut poetry pamphlet, ´Animal Noises´, won an Eric Gregory Award in 2021. Pheobe also received the Mairtín Crawford Poetry Award in 2019 and a Northern Writers' Award for poetry in 2012.