“A psychological conundrum” – Exonian’s first novel published

Nicholas Royle (1976, English) has published his first novel, Quilt. Following his father’s death, a man sets about the process of sorting through the remnants of his life – unearthing forgotten memories and the haunted realms of everyday life. At the same time, he embarks on an eccentric side-project. And as he grows increasingly obsessed with this new project, his grip on reality seems to slip. Experimenting with literary form, this tender, absorbing and even funny novel is both a mystery and a love story.

The Guardian described the book as “an intense study of grief and mental disintegration, a lexical celebration and a psychological conundrum… Royle explores loss and alienation perceptively and inventively.”

Professor Royle has previously written works on literature and critical theory, including Telepathy and Literature, The Uncanny, E.M. Forster and the influential textbook, An Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory (with Andrew Bennett).