Dark Chapter Book

DC

‘A brave and unflinching novel…Taut with suspense and drama and while shocking and deeply disturbing, it ultimately speaks to the power and triumph of the human spirit.'

Bernardine Evaristo MBE, Winner of The Booker Prize
UK ORDERS
US ORDERS
Two strangers cross paths one spring afternoon in West Belfast, in a horrifying act of violence. In the aftermath, each is forced to confront the chain of events that led to the attack. Inspired by true events, this is a story of the dark chapters and chance encounters that can irrevocably determine the shape of our lives.

Over the past seven years, so many people have reached out to me about the impact that DARK CHAPTER had on them. How it helped validate their own experiences of sexual violence, or opened their eyes to the reality of trauma and the criminal justice system. I’m glad a whole new audience will be able to encounter the my debut novel through this new edition. I wrote it to try and make sense of a senseless act of violence, which upended my life and blights the lives of many others. And yet, recovery is possible. 

Winner of The Guardian’s Not The Booker Prize  Winner
Nominated for The Edgar Award – Best First Novel
Shortlisted for The Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award
Shortlisted for the SI Leeds Literary Prize
Shortlisted for the CWA Debut Dagger
Translated into ten languages
Awarded British Film Institute and Northern Ireland Screen funding for feature film adaptation (screenplay now complete)

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‘That Li was able to write this novel, as both personal catharsis and public service, speaks volumes about her inner strength. Li's novel is both a valuable social document and a riveting page-turner.’

Kirkus Reviews

What Readers Have Said

Once in a while there comes a book that knocks you down, tears you apart, then puts you together again a much inspired woman. DARK CHAPTER does that.
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Winnie Li writes with such brutal honesty, courage and emotion, that she made me weep. Thank you for writing such an important and powerful book about the strength of women.
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I have rarely sat and read a book in one sitting, but Li's fictional account of a very real experience is compelling and beautifully executed.
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It has been a long time since I have read such an arresting novel. It is raw, visceral and yet poignant.
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I raced through this book and could not put it down. Heart-rending, infuriating, powerful, all at once. Li's ability to write coherently and pointedly about her own experience and at the same time to write empathetically and emotionally about that of her rapist is profound.

‘Defiant…direct…conveyed with skill and emotional force… Almost a decade after she was raped, Li’s impressive debut recreates her experience and even bravely ventures into the mind of the attacker’

The Guardian

MEDIA REVIEWS

‘Brave, raw and strikingly original, it is a story that will resonate for many years.’
The Daily Mail
‘Li does a fine job exploring how one incident can change the course of a life in this astute psychological study.’
Publishers Weekly
‘A thoughtful, empathetic portrayal of the challenges rape victims face when seeking justice.’
Booklist
"Complex and rewarding… an important book."
Stylist
‘Rich storytelling that goes beyond surface-level stereotypes about sexual assault… In an era when women and men choosing to break their silence have ignited a movement, Li delivers her own contribution in the form of a crime novel that centers the survivor’s point of view. Ultimately, her work challenges not only genre conventions but also the broader conversations about rape and rape culture.’
CrimeReads
'Gut-wrenching... Remarkable… Li’s writing captures the visceral horror of the rape victim’s trauma while simultaneously probing the motivations and subsequent regrets of the rapist. No one’s a winner in this brutal page-turner, but if you’ve ever wondered why victims are reluctant to report rape, this roman à clef explains the process in clinical, furious detail.'
LitReactor
‘What is striking about this acclaimed first novel (highly recommended for the Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger) is that not only is it based on an incident in the author’s life, but the facility with which Li is able to intertwine the life stories of Vivian and Johnny, giving each substance and depth, sacrificing her own biases to create a clear sight line for the reader. Li skilfully compels the reader to examine life stories that have converged through a nightmarish act of violence.’
Library Journal

'Not just an important book, it is a very, very good one, and the first, you feel, of many from Winnie M Li'

Glenn Patterson, Award-winning author and Director of the Seamus Heaney Centre

AUTHOR ENDORSEMENTS

‘A brave and unflinching novel…Taut with suspense and drama and while shocking and deeply disturbing, it ultimately speaks to the power and triumph of the human spirit.'
Bernardine Evaristo MBE, Winner of The Booker Prize for GIRL, WOMAN, OTHER
‘I highly recommend Dark Chapter…post-rape numbness, stifled rage, female victim alternating with rapist — how circumstances and accident come together tragically.’
Joyce Carol Oates
‘A fine debut from an exceptional talent, and an important study of the human cost of violence.’
Stuart Neville, LA Times Book Prize Winner, Author of BLOOD LIKE MINE
‘Winnie Li is a rare talent with an explosive and timely story. Do not miss it.’
Marti Leimbach, New York Times Bestselling Author of DANIEL ISN'T TALKING
‘Bound to prompt important conversations about sex crimes, the legal system, and the power of narrative in the #MeToo moment.’
Hadar Aviram, University of California Professor of Law
"An important and moving book about rape and the long process of recovery."
Cathy Rentzenbrink, author of THE LAST ACT OF LOVE
‘Dark Chapter is must-read. It’s gripping, compelling all the more authentic for inhabiting both voices so completely. Stunning.’
Erin Kelly, Sunday Times best-selling author of HE SAID, SHE SAID
‘A remarkable book to read in this time.’
A.L Kennedy, Award-winning author of DAY
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