Author Talk - After Care by Divya Maniar

A scathing debut about the dark side of reality TV, influence culture and consumerism. Author Divya Maniar talks to Very Small Bookshop about her excellent Debut novel 'After Care'.

Grace is no longer famous. She sits alone in her New York apartment, endlessly watching reruns of herself on the reality TV show Speed Daters. Then, one evening, a man breaks in through her window. A rare, still- obsessed fan or raging incel - Grace is unsure. Before she can find out, he disappears. 

That same night, the world is rocked by the news that Anoushka, Grace's onscreen rival, has taken her own life. Suddenly thrust back into the public eye, Grace is thrilled to be relevant again. Driven by a familiar desperation for love and attention, she clings to the dregs of her old life: her followers; her on again, off-again boyfriend, Cal; and her unstable influencer income. 

But fame is fickle, and Grace's image is fragile. When the fans begin to turn on her, Grace escapes with Cal to his isolated cabin. In the woods with nothing but each other, can they mend what's broken without destroying what little is left?

Divya Maniar is a writer and dancer from Singapore who currently lives in London. She studied Comparative Literature and Philosophy at Brown, and holds an M.Phil in English Literature from Cambridge. Her writing has appeared in Joyland, The Rumpus and elsewhere. After Care is her debut novel. Visit divyamaniar.com for more information.

Very Small Bookshop is a queer owned independent bookshop, housed in a 20 square foot shipping container, based at Willway Yard, in Bedminster. This event will be held in the large gallery space behind the shop. The event will be seated and is accessible for wheelchair users with access to disabled toilets.