Charlotte Mendelson

Charlotte Mendelson’s new novel, Almost English, tells the story of sixteen-year-old Marina who feels released from the stifling expectations of her family in Hungary when they send her away to boarding school in England. Once in her new life, however, as an awkward half-foreigner, Maria finds herself as trapped as ever. Crushed by expectations and baffled by English customs, Marina finds herself yearning for the home she so desperately wanted to escape. Meanwhile, her mother – battling with painful secrets of her own – fails to notice that Marina is rapidly losing control of her life.

We’re thrilled to announce that Almost English has made this year’s Booker Longlist – Charlotte Mendelson is already the winner of several awards and it is great to see her getting the attention she deserves. She is an elegant and subversive writer, with a knack for plunging from giddy heights of laughter to the sinister depths of obsession.