Sally Rooney’s devoted fans won’t have to wait much longer – the Irish author has revealed that her next book will be released this fall.

Rooney’s highly acclaimed fourth novel, Intermezzo, will continue to explore the complex connections among the youth, a common theme in the author’s works. However, the story will primarily revolve around siblings, Peter and Ivan Koubek.

In their thirties, Peter, a lawyer from Dublin, and his younger brother Ivan, a shy chess player, seem to have little in common. However, when their father passes away, their lives take unexpected turns. Peter, who was once seen as confident and accomplished, begins to rely on self-medication and faces challenges in his relationships with two women: Sylvia, his first love, and Naomi, a college student. On the other hand, Ivan begins a relationship with a mature woman named Margaret, which quickly becomes a significant aspect of his life.

According to the summary provided by the publisher Faber and Faber, the novel delves into the journey of two brothers and their loved ones as they navigate through a phase filled with longing, hopelessness, and potential. It explores the notion of how much a single life can endure without shattering apart.

Alex Bowler from Faber expressed that Sally Rooney’s new novel follows three successful books and will continue to captivate readers with its profound observations, emotional depth, and themes of both suffering and optimism. However, this newest novel also showcases the author’s growth and development as a talented writer who expertly captures the essence of contemporary society, human emotions, and current events.

Rooney’s past books have achieved worldwide success and two of her works, Normal People and Conversations With Friends, have been made into television series by the BBC. Her latest book, Beautiful World, Where Are You, was released in September 2021 and sold over 40,000 copies within five days. To meet the high demand, 50 bookstores in the UK opened early on the day of its release and a temporary shop dedicated to Rooney’s works was set up in Shoreditch. There are preparations in progress for the publication of her upcoming book, Intermezzo, and Rooney is expected to make appearances at events in both London and Dublin.

The pre-published copies of Beautiful World, known as ARCs, were distributed to key figures in the media and influencer industry. These copies, labeled as “not for resale,” were highly sought after and one was even sold on eBay for $209.16. Vanity Fair’s Delia Cai referred to them as the “must-have galley of the summer.”

Bea Carvalho, head of books at Waterstones said she expects the publication of Intermezzo to be “a standout highlight” of this year’s fiction titles. “Few authors are as beloved among our booksellers”, she said. “We remember fondly launching Beautiful World, Where Are You in Waterstones Piccadilly with one of the first major bookshop book signings after the turbulent period of lockdowns and shop closures: a reminder of the joy to be found in the community of bookshops.”

Rooney has sold 3 million books in just the UK and Ireland, and her works have been translated into over 40 different languages. In the year 2021, she declined an offer from an Israeli publisher who had previously translated two of her novels into Hebrew. This was due to her strong stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict. In an article for the Observer in December of 2023, Rooney discussed the recent events in Gaza with Palestinian author Isabella Hammad. She expressed her confusion and disbelief, stating that she could not comprehend the situation and that her heart was rebelling against what was happening.

Rooney was honored by Time magazine in 2022 as one of the 100 most influential people. The author resides and operates in her birthplace of County Mayo, Ireland.

“Intermezzo” will be released on September 24th, but the cover design has not yet been released.

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Source: theguardian.com