Katie Bishop

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Photograph: Desiree Adams/Penguin Random House

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Agent: Ariella Feiner
Assistant: Amber Garvey

Books

Katie Bishop is a writer, journalist, and editor based in the Midlands. She has written for major publications such as the New York Times, the Guardian, Vogue, and many others. Her debut novel The Girls of Summer, pitched as upmarket reading-group fiction for fans of Kate Elizabeth Russell's My Dark Vanessa (Fourth Estate) and Helen Walsh's The Lemon Grove (Headline), explores themes of consent, power, and memory. The Girls of Summer is published by Transworld in the UK and St Martin's Press in the US.

 

THE GIRLS OF SUMMER (Transworld)

A compulsive and timely exploration of the complicated nature of memory and trauma, power and consent, victimhood and shame.

'That place has been my whole life. Everything I thought I knew about myself was constructed in those few months I spent within touching distance of the sea. Everything I am is because Alistair loved me.'

Rachel has been in love with Alistair since she was seventeen. Even though she hasn't seen him for sixteen years and she's now married to someone else. Even though she was a teenager when they met. Even though he is twenty years older than her. She's found it impossible to forget their summer together on a remote, sun-trapped Greek island. Until now.

When Rachel unexpectedly reconnects with a girl that she knew back then, she is forced to re-examine her memories of that golden summer and confront the truth about her relationship with Alistair and about her time working for an enigmatic and wealthy man on the island. And when Alistair returns, the pull of the past could prove impossible to resist...

 

Praise for THE GIRLS OF SUMMER

‘It's been a long time since I've read such a compelling debut. Beautifully written, transportive, and thought-provoking, The Girls of Summer sizzles with suspense. It's the book I'll be recommending that all my girlfriends pack for their holidays this summer.’ Lucy ClarkeSunday Times bestselling author of The Castaways

‘A mesmerising, unsettling and gripping debut.’ Catherine Ryan Howard, author of 56 Days

'This novel is unputdownable with mystery, relatable marriage woes, identity issues, a sense of urgency, and a bold new voice. This is the book of the summer.' Zibby Owens

'If you love a pageturner for your sunlounger that you won't be able to put down, then you need to order this sizzling debut immediately. This is an unsettling an compelling story.' 17 Degrees

'Atmospheric and powerful, The Girls of Summer is a propulsive examination of the line blurring trauma and love in a relationship, a distinction which—in a post #MeToo world—is more important than ever. Bishop has crafted a haunting, tense psychological debut, and a final reckoning that will stick with me.' Carola Lovering, author of Tell Me Lies

‘A reckoning with the past comes in this startling debut novel. The dark undertow of an idyllic summer and the lies girls are told and tell themselves are captured with stark, affecting honesty and evocative prose.’ The Times

'Dark, timely and thought-provoking, it’s a must read.' Sun, ****

'From its dreamy descriptions of this remote island to this character’s path through nostalgia to awareness, The Girls of Summer is a thoughtful, lyrical novel. Pick this one up if you’re looking for something a little deeper that the usual summer read.' Shelf Discovery

‘Brilliant debut.’ Hello!

‘Pacy and readable – and set to be a big summer hit.’ iPaper

‘Smart, tense and on-the-nose about shame and coercion and the way we force our own painful histories into a narrative we can live with.’ Tammy Cohen, author of The Wedding Party

‘Set to be one of the biggest debuts of the summer.’ Independent

'The Girls of Summer explores consent, the power discrepancies in relationships, control, and the intoxication of lust in a gripping read that is visceral and raw.' Glamour, Book of the Month

‘Scorching and sexy, it lures you in then shakes you up. A very timely read about consent and control. LOVED IT.’ Nikki May, author of Wahala

‘An absolutely scorching debut deftly mixing the glamour of an island holiday with shadows of coercive control. One of the best psychological thrillers I’ve read this year.’ Alice Clark-Platts, author of The Cove

'A poignant and lyrical exploration of the past’s power to haunt us, the novel expertly unravels the intricacies of relationships of all kinds to show the power dynamics that underlie each. Bishop is an undeniable master of emotional crescendos, guiding readers toward realizations that are at once shocking and inevitable.' Rachel Kapelke-Dale, author of The Ballerinas

‘Thought-provoking, timely and gripping, The Girls of Summer is the book of the summer.’ Sarah Turner, Sunday Times bestselling author

'This promising first novel is a timely exploration of the way predatory older men seduce and manipulate young women...Bishop's unflinching dissection of male abuse and power and the strength of female solidarity deserves attention.' Publishers Weekly

'One of Penguin’s buzziest debuts for 2023.' Country & Town House Magazine

'Reminiscent of HBO’s hit The White Lotus, Bishop's tale will draw readers in with its realistic descriptions of the island. The obvious read-alike is My Dark Vanessa, by Kate Elizabeth Russell (2020), and the plot-driven tension will appeal to fans of psychological suspense.' Booklist

The Girls of Summer is visceral, deeply sensory and urgent. An unsettling and vital book.’ Hazel Barkworth, author of Sunstroke

‘Katie Bishop’s engrossingly dark debut simmers with the seductive power of first love against a backdrop of truths too horrible to confront. This is a powerful story of exploitation and retribution; I loved it.' Louisa Reid, author of The Poet

‘Casts a sharp spotlight on the complicated nature of power, consent and recollection…. We're not short on novels exploring the complexities of consent, power and the exploitation of both girls and women. But The Girls of Summer feels particularly pertinent to our times…  A powerful, compelling and suspenseful read.’  Culturefly