Description

A stunning debut on queer love, betrayal and survival in Elizabethan England. Perfect for fans of Hilary Mantel and Maggie O’Farrell.
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‘Vivid, punchy, brilliantly original’ SUNDAY TIMES
‘Hugely impressive, visceral and moving’ FINANCIAL TIMES
‘Imaginative, atmospheric, and heart-poundingly tense’ NEIL BLACKMORE
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England, 1593. Kit Marlowe is one of London’s most beloved playwrights. He lives audaciously, leaving lovers – and enemies – in his wake.

But the city’s streets are infested with spies. When Marlowe is arrested for treason, heresy and sodomy – all crimes punishable by death – old friends turn foes, bitter rivals emerge, and a stranger becomes Marlowe’s dearest ally – if only he can be trusted.

In an era where suspicion and duplicity rule, loyalty can be fatal.

Richly atmospheric and tenderly imagined, Lightborne is the thrilling tale of an enigmatic, infamous character, and a love that flourishes from the margins.
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More praise for Lightborne

‘Exerts a powerful pull’ IRISH TIMES
‘The kind of brilliant writing that rescues historical fiction from the museum’ JOSEPH O’CONNOR
‘A deeply impressive achievement, meticulously researched and fabulously rendered’ NIALL BOURKE

Publisher Review

Other works of fiction have been written about the turbulent life and still not fully explained death of the Elizabethan dramatist Christopher Marlowe… Probably none has demonstrated the erudition and intensity of Hesse Phillips’s debut novel… Told in vivid, punchy prose, Lightborne is a brilliantly original take on a familiar story * Sunday Times HISTORICAL BOOK OF THE MONTH * Trust, love and betrayal all compete in this fascinating take on the life and death of Kit Marlowe * Historical Novel Society * Dazzling… A hugely impressive, visceral and moving portrait of one of the era’s most captivating and mysterious characters. * Financial Times * Exerts a powerful pull… Breathes new life into familiar images of the period * Irish Times * A wonderfully vivid and edgy piece of storytelling, the kind of brilliant writing that rescues historical fiction from the museum * Joseph O’Connor, author of MY FATHER’S HOUSE * Imaginative, atmospheric, and heart-poundingly tense, time is running out for Christopher Marlowe in this excellent debut. He seeks refuge from his enemies in the arms of his new lover, but is Frizer as much danger as solace? Forget all the polite queer historical novels that tell no truths – here is one boldly full of them. * Neil Blackmore, author of RADICAL LOVE * A deliciously complex, vivid portrait of a violent and fascinating period, with an addictively charismatic cast of characters. Heart-wrenching, bold and earthy, this book gripped me and wouldn’t let me go. * Leon Craig, author of PARALLEL HELLS * Absolutely fantastic. It is a deeply impressive achievement, meticulously researched and fabulously rendered… Genuinely reminiscent of the likes Hilary Mantel or Ken Follett. * Niall Bourke, author of LINE *