The Names of the New World
- 28 Jan 2027
- 9781837266548
- £18.99
- 448 pp
- 141×220mm
- 28 Jan 2027
- 9781837266555
- £15.19
- 448 pp
- 28 Jan 2027
- 9781837266562
- £30
- 14 hrs 40 min
In a few words
A defiantly hopeful novel about the struggle of our current times and the times to come, from the award-winning author of Sharks in the Time of Saviours
In a few words
A defiantly hopeful novel about the struggle of our current times and the times to come, from the award-winning author of Sharks in the Time of Saviours
In a few words
A defiantly hopeful novel about the struggle of our current times and the times to come, from the award-winning author of Sharks in the Time of Saviours
A fiercely original, relentlessly paced epic of climate catastrophe, exploring the jagged edges of American identity
Tommy Orange
Carried along by waves of powerful, gorgeous prose, The Names of the New World transports the reader across time and space, across land and sea. Washburn weaves the political, social, environmental and personal into a work of moral imagination that speaks to our moment with insight, clarity and power
Charles Yu
A fiercely original, relentlessly paced epic of climate catastrophe, exploring the jagged edges of American identity
Tommy Orange
Carried along by waves of powerful, gorgeous prose, The Names of the New World transports the reader across time and space, across land and sea. Washburn weaves the political, social, environmental and personal into a work of moral imagination that speaks to our moment with insight, clarity and power
Charles Yu
A fiercely original, relentlessly paced epic of climate catastrophe, exploring the jagged edges of American identity
Tommy Orange
Carried along by waves of powerful, gorgeous prose, The Names of the New World transports the reader across time and space, across land and sea. Washburn weaves the political, social, environmental and personal into a work of moral imagination that speaks to our moment with insight, clarity and power
Charles Yu
More about
the book
A superstorm is ravaging present-day Minneapolis. In its wake, three strangers are thrown together:
Naomi is a lawyer by day and an amateur MMA fighter by night, a Hawaiian transplanted to the Midwest for her less-than-satisfying career. Amaré is a young investment banker who has some grand intentions for all the money he’s about to make. And Raheem is a diesel truck mechanic who finds himself in very bad shape.
As the ecological repercussions of the storm launch her latest case to national prominence, Naomi’s relationship with her new-found companions is severely tested. It soon becomes clear to Naomi that the storm, and subsequent weather disasters, are preventable and manmade. When she initiates a legal battle in response, she finds herself propelled to Washington, DC, and her push for change reaches a violent climax.
Like The Bonfire of the Vanities for the age of extinction, The Names of the New World is a startling, energetic and optimistic novel, a gripping saga of our times and of the times to come.
More about
the book
A superstorm is ravaging present-day Minneapolis. In its wake, three strangers are thrown together:
Naomi is a lawyer by day and an amateur MMA fighter by night, a Hawaiian transplanted to the Midwest for her less-than-satisfying career. Amaré is a young investment banker who has some grand intentions for all the money he’s about to make. And Raheem is a diesel truck mechanic who finds himself in very bad shape.
As the ecological repercussions of the storm launch her latest case to national prominence, Naomi’s relationship with her new-found companions is severely tested. It soon becomes clear to Naomi that the storm, and subsequent weather disasters, are preventable and manmade. When she initiates a legal battle in response, she finds herself propelled to Washington, DC, and her push for change reaches a violent climax.
Like The Bonfire of the Vanities for the age of extinction, The Names of the New World is a startling, energetic and optimistic novel, a gripping saga of our times and of the times to come.
More about
the book
A superstorm is ravaging present-day Minneapolis. In its wake, three strangers are thrown together:
Naomi is a lawyer by day and an amateur MMA fighter by night, a Hawaiian transplanted to the Midwest for her less-than-satisfying career. Amaré is a young investment banker who has some grand intentions for all the money he’s about to make. And Raheem is a diesel truck mechanic who finds himself in very bad shape.
As the ecological repercussions of the storm launch her latest case to national prominence, Naomi’s relationship with her new-found companions is severely tested. It soon becomes clear to Naomi that the storm, and subsequent weather disasters, are preventable and manmade. When she initiates a legal battle in response, she finds herself propelled to Washington, DC, and her push for change reaches a violent climax.
Like The Bonfire of the Vanities for the age of extinction, The Names of the New World is a startling, energetic and optimistic novel, a gripping saga of our times and of the times to come.
[Kawai Strong Washburn] is adept both at sweeping set pieces and the small moments that convey the texture of an individual’s life, all rendered in rich, often lovely prose. The book follows the trio of characters closely for three years, then in its last quarter leaps forward two decades into a vividly imagined and convincingly rendered future that is both terrifying and exhilarating—and achingly hopeful. Human resilience in the face of climate disaster illuminates this powerful novel
Cinematic . . . Washburn's rich world building is both beautiful and satisfying, and his fictional heroes facing real stakes and circumstances are a gift to readers. Pages flying to the very end, this not-to-be-missed novel will leave readers thinking about what’s possible in their own futures long after closing the back cover
Praise for SHARKS IN THE TIME OF SAVIOURS:
'As vivid as it is splendid'
Imbolo Mbue
New York TimesBeautifully written and completely absorbing. Sentences sparkle, the narrative voices remain distinctive and complete, and the deep notes of magic sound under the realism of poverty and loss. I didn't want it to end
Sarah Moss
GuardianPraise for SHARKS IN THE TIME OF SAVIOURS:
'As vivid as it is splendid'
Imbolo Mbue
New York TimesBeautifully written and completely absorbing. Sentences sparkle, the narrative voices remain distinctive and complete, and the deep notes of magic sound under the realism of poverty and loss. I didn't want it to end
Sarah Moss
GuardianThe novel you never knew you were waiting for . . . a ferocious debut
Marlon James
Bursts with life . . . revelatory and unputdownable. Washburn is an extraordinarily brilliant new talent
Tommy Orange
Praise for SHARKS IN THE TIME OF SAVIOURS:
'As vivid as it is splendid'
Imbolo Mbue
New York TimesBeautifully written and completely absorbing. Sentences sparkle, the narrative voices remain distinctive and complete, and the deep notes of magic sound under the realism of poverty and loss. I didn't want it to end
Sarah Moss
GuardianThe novel you never knew you were waiting for . . . a ferocious debut
Marlon James
Bursts with life . . . revelatory and unputdownable. Washburn is an extraordinarily brilliant new talent
Tommy Orange
Kawai Strong Washburn
View profileKawai Strong Washburn was born and raised on the Hamakua coast of the Big Island of Hawai‘i. His work has appeared in McSweeney’s, Electric Literature and The Best American Nonrequired Reading, among others. He has worked in software and as a climate policy advocate. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife and children. Sharks in the Time of Saviours was his first novel. It won the 2021 PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel, was shortlisted for the Kitschies Golden Tentacle Award, was a Barack Obama book of the year, and a Best Book of the Year in the New York Times, Guardian, Irish Times, Oprah Magazine and BBC Culture.
Kawai Strong Washburn
View profileKawai Strong Washburn was born and raised on the Hamakua coast of the Big Island of Hawai‘i. His work has appeared in McSweeney’s, Electric Literature and The Best American Nonrequired Reading, among others. He has worked in software and as a climate policy advocate. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife and children. Sharks in the Time of Saviours was his first novel. It won the 2021 PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel, was shortlisted for the Kitschies Golden Tentacle Award, was a Barack Obama book of the year, and a Best Book of the Year in the New York Times, Guardian, Irish Times, Oprah Magazine and BBC Culture.
Kawai Strong Washburn
View profileKawai Strong Washburn was born and raised on the Hamakua coast of the Big Island of Hawai‘i. His work has appeared in McSweeney’s, Electric Literature and The Best American Nonrequired Reading, among others. He has worked in software and as a climate policy advocate. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife and children. Sharks in the Time of Saviours was his first novel. It won the 2021 PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel, was shortlisted for the Kitschies Golden Tentacle Award, was a Barack Obama book of the year, and a Best Book of the Year in the New York Times, Guardian, Irish Times, Oprah Magazine and BBC Culture.
