A SURREAL AND STARTLING DEBUT NOVEL ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO LOSE EVERYTHING

Set in the squalid backstreets of Soho, this is a vivid tale of drug abuse and delusion. A must read for fans of Bret Easton Ellis, Jay McInerney and Donna Tartt.

When Matty wakes up next to a stranger in his dingy Soho flat, he realises his life is in pieces. He has been betrayed by his brother. His girlfriend is dead. And his busybody lawyer, Squales, says Matty is wanted in court. Thankfully Fix, Matty’s best friend, is on his way over armed with a gram of speed and the promise of a good time. But as the debauchery intensifies over the coming days and Matty’s mental state becomes ever more precarious, he connects with the purple-eyed god Feracor and realises he is destined for far, far greater prospects than the grimy glamour and earthly delights of Soho.

In her lyrical, wry and darkly comic debut, Venetia Welby explores the relationship between loss, addiction and religious zeal with hilarious and disturbing results. As the main narrative is splintered by a series of psychiatric interviews, erratic life writings, hallucinations and nods to Greek Tragedy, the novel evokes Donna Tartt’s The Secret History and the writings of Sebastian Horsley. Mother of Darkness is as inventive and virtuosic as it is funny and readable.

Venetia Welby is a writer and journalist who has lived and worked on four continents. When not seeking out new countries and ideas, she is actively involved in the literary scenes of London and Oxford. She lives in Bow, east London with her husband, son and Bengal cat.