Aphra Author Talk: Nicola Dinan | The Gilded Acorn
Arts
Literary Arts
We are delighted to be hosting esteemed author, Nicola Dinan, for an evening discussing her novels 'Bellies' and 'Disappoint Me'. Nicola's writing is renowned for the complex layers beneath interpersonal relationships she closely observes in her moving stories of friendship, transitioning, and first love. This is a not-to-be-missed opportunity to hear first-hand from Nicola about crafting her narratives and ask your burning questions; and each ticket includes a copy of a book of your choice. About Nicola Dinan: Nicola Dinan grew up in Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur and now lives in London. Bellies, her debut, was longlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize and Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize, shortlisted for the Mo Siewcharran Prize, Polari First Book Prize and the Diverse Book Awards, and a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award. Her second novel, Disappoint Me, releases in 2025. About 'Bellies': Compassionate, prescient and compelling, Dinan's mesmerising debut centres on the relationship between young graduates Tom and Ming and how their connection fluctuates in the wake of Ming's transition. It begins as your typical boy meets boy. While out with friends at their local university drag night, Tom buys Ming a drink. Confident and witty, a charming young playwright, Ming is the perfect antidote to Tom's awkward energy, and their connection is instant. Tom finds himself deeply and desperately drawn into Ming's orbit, and on the cusp of graduation, he's already mapped out their future together. But, shortly after they move to London to start their next chapter, Ming announces her intention to transition. From London to Kuala Lumpur, New York to Cologne, we follow Tom and Ming as they face shifts in their relationship in the wake of Ming's transition. Through a spiral of unforeseen crises - some personal, some professional, some life-altering - Tom and Ming are forced to confront the vastly different shapes their lives have taken since graduating, and each must answer the essential question: is it worth losing a part of yourself to become who you are? If you choose a copy of 'Bellies' included in your ticket, you will be able to collect it on the night and have it signed by Nicola. About 'Disappoint Me': The author of the bestselling Bellies spins another engrossing, heartfelt story of love, loss and the challenges of being true to yourself, as a poet-cum-legal councellor trans woman decides to take a stab at heteronormativity. Max is thirty, a published poet and grossly overpaid legal counsel for a tech company. She’s living her best life! Or is she? The debris of years of dysphoria and failed relationships rattle around in her head. When she tumbles down the stairs at a New Year’s Eve party and wakes up in hospital alone, she decides to make some changes. First things first: a stab at good old-fashioned heteronormativity. Enter Vincent, corporate lawyer and hobby baker. His trad friendship group may as well speak a different language to Max, and his Chinese parents never pictured their son dating a trans woman. It’s uncertain terrain, but Vincent cares for Max in a way she’d long given up on as a foolish fantasy. Yet Vincent is carrying his own baggage. On his gap year in Thailand a decade prior, he vies for the attention of a gorgeous traveller, Alex, with secrets of her own. Is Vincent really the new face of the Enlightened Man, or will the ghosts of his past sabotage his and Max’s happiness? If you choose a copy of 'Disappoint Me' included in your ticket, you will be able to collect a signed copy from our bookshop, The Gilded Acorn, on release day: 23/01/2025
Information Source: aphra book club | eventbrite