Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies

"In Maddie Mortimer’s intimidatingly mature and inventive debut novel, a British artist faces down terminal cancer as her daughter comes of age. It’s a moving, strange, and unexpectedly playful book, inspired by the death of Mortimer’s own mother when she was only fourteen , and is in part narrated by the anthropomorphised voice of cancer itself. That’s a bold artistic decision—one that sounds somewhat self-consciously clever-clever—but this sharp, darkly comic voice adds a great deal of humour and verve to an otherwise heartbreaking story. Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies won the 2022 Desmond Elliot Prize (awarded annually to the best British or Irish debut novel), was shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize, and was longlisted for the Booker. Quite an achievement for a writer who is, if my sums are correct, only 26. So: expect great things from Maddie Mortimer. High-concept books like this aren’t for everyone, but if you like Ali Smith, Eimear McBride, and Max Porter, I think you’ll love Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies. The text itself, which has elements of concrete poetry, demands to be admired in hard copy. But it also translates unexpectedly well into a radio play; the audiobook is primarily voiced by Lydia Wilson, while Tamsin Grieg plays the role of Cancer, rudely interrupting with crows of victory and freewheeling observations. A whole-hearted recommendation."