Woman, Idle
From the creative duo who gave us What Concerns Us, this new novel explores non-monogamous relationships and shifting identities through the voices of three women, brought together in the quiet tension of the Swiss mountains.Told in alternating voices, Woman, Idle explores two main questions: What kind of women have I become? What kind of women do I want to be?
In the Swiss mountains, Romi and Szibilla arrive at Nora’s childhood home to find their longtime friend has retreated into silence. With Nora refusing to speak and her mother keeping them at arm’s length, Romi and Szibilla are forced into an uneasy time together over the next five days. Their mutual acquaintance will bring out their own insecurities as friends, lovers, and mothers, unexpectedly confronted with themselves and their own choices. This is a novel that masterfully blends daily-life reflections with suspense. Insightful yet easy to read, readers will be captivated by the mystery surrounding the silent woman.
Laura Vogt
Laura Vogt (Teufen, 1989) studied Creative Writing at the Swiss Literature Institute in Biel and Cultural Studies at the University of Lucerne. Her first novel, So einfach war es also zu gehen, came out in 2016. She has also written numerous short stories and articles as well as lyrical and dramatic texts. Laura started writing What Concerns Us two months after having her first child. This is her second novel, and the first one to be available to English readers.
Translated by Caroline Waight, who is an award-winning literary translator working from Danish, German and Norwegian. She translates both fiction and non-fiction, with recent publications including The Lobster’s Shell by Caroline Albertine Minor (Granta, 2022), Island by Siri Ranva Hjelm Jacobsen (Pushkin Press, 2021) and The Chief Witness by Sayragul Sauytbay and Alexandra Cavelius (Scribe, 2021).
Author portrait © Ayse Yavas
