Rosewater: the debut novel from Liv Little

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verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ Liv Little, Women in science and health, Could men have a role to play in refuges?, Woman's Hour - BBC Radio 4". BBC . Retrieved 8 December 2016. Rosewater is sensuous, urgent and pulsating with youth -- embracing all of its messiness, discovery and boundless capacity for love." - Xochitl Gonzalez Sharply observed yet tender at the same time, Rosewater explores the meaning of home, exposing its fragility and its tenacity as Little’s characters fight to find their place in the world.” - Gwen E. Kirby, author of Shit Cassandra Saw Little said: “My heart is in this book and I cannot wait for the world to meet Elsie, Juliet and Bea. Sharmaine is someone whose taste and tenacity I have long admired and I'm thrilled to be working with her and the rest of the team on this book and the next.”

Rosewater is sexy, alive, and modern-a perfectly-formed romance . . . this book is a must-read and a captivating delight." - Jayne AllenOften when you have older characters in books, you run the risk of them becoming teachable characters for the younger generation and I really didn’t want it to be like that,” says Little. “I wanted everyone, regardless of age, to be able to show up as their full selves and live full and dynamic lives.” A queer coming-of-age story capturing the existential, aimless dread of the moment.” - Nylon (An April 2023 Must-Read Book) Featuring the poetry of Kai-Isaiah Jamal, Rosewater is a deliciously steamy queer romance from a bold new voice. An electric and captivating debut, Elsie’s story teaches us that sometimes home is not always where we are, but who we are with . . . In 2016, to celebrate their first birthday, gal-dem produced the first print edition of the magazine. [5] On 28 October 2016, the collective ran the Friday Late session at the V&A Museum. [6] The session featured an all-female line-up, with activities ranging from a mass twerk workshop to the chance to hear the best female London MCs. Little stepped down from her role as the CEO of gal-dem in September 2020. [7] gal-dem ceased publication in March 2023. [8] Writing [ edit ]

Though Rosewater is billed as a love story, Elsie takes her own sweet time to figure out how to love. When she does, the novel becomes powerfully, almost unbearably moving. When Elsie reads her poetry at an event that wins her a publishing deal, she is also reading to win Juliet over, without quite knowing it. And later, when Juliet is admitted to hospital after an accident, Elsie is there by her side, day after agonising day. Rosewater is a beautiful ode to queer love and friendship, and a reminder that self-knowledge is often arrived at in the company of others. Morris, Kadish (20 April 2023). "Rosewater by Liv Little review – hookups, hope and hard times". The Guardian . Retrieved 20 April 2023. She went over all the dialects with me to make sure everything was right,” Little remembers fondly. Elsewhere, Elsie’s ode to her grandmother’s Pepper Pot recipe – one of four beautiful poems by Kai-Isaiah Jamal in the book – brought tears to Little’s eyes. Elsie is a sexy, funny, and fiercely independent woman in south London. But several things in her life have gone terribly wrong. She’s estranged from her family; is failing to make it as a poet; and has just been evicted from her social housing. As fierce and independent as she is, even Elsie must admit that being a carefree 28-year-old is proving difficult—and that she’s running out of options. Award-winning journalist Liv Little has spoken to PinkNews about the power of being seen, queer love stories and paying homage to the past in her debut novel, Rosewater.

Alemoru, Kemi (16 September 2016). "gal-dem just launched a print mag and it's a game changer". Dazed. A beautifully rendered story about love’s possibilities and its limits. I laughed, I cried, couldn’t put it down” Monica Heisey, author of Really Good, Actually Goodbye from gal-dem". gal-dem.com. 31 March 2023. Archived from the original on 10 April 2023 . Retrieved 20 April 2023. Dawoor, Yagnishsing (9 April 2023). "Rosewater by Liv Little review – a lyrical love affair". The Observer . Retrieved 20 April 2023. Rosewater feels like a song for the dreamers who are trying to find their way. It is a wonderful, messy, heart-filled novel’ - Jendella Benson

That part of herself she is absolutely certain of and that was really important to me,” the author says. “There didn’t need to be some traumatic coming out moment or story, it’s not about that.”

As for what readers can take away from the book, Little simply hopes that it “touches people” in some form, no matter how big or small. “Our experiences are not homogenous but there’s a good cast of characters. I hope there is something for people figuring themselves out and trying to navigate this very complicated and messy world that we live in.” Little published her first novel, Rosewater, in 2023. [9] Writing in The Observer, Yagnishsing Dawoor described it as "a beautiful ode to queer love and friendship". [10] Selected publications [ edit ] gal-dem founder Liv Little’s “remarkable” debut novel, Rosewater, has been snapped up in a six-figure pre-empt by Dialogue Books. Rosewater is a story so wonderfully imbued with a sense of family, community and the importance of finding your place in the world—but more than anything, it's a stunning exploration of the ways in which friendship can deepen into an unbreakable bond of romantic love. I consumed it in breathless gulps’ - Sareeta Domingo

For found family mixed with queer joy, sapphic romance, and a healing journey, look no further than Rosewater.” - LitHub World English language rights were acquired by publisher Sharmaine Lovegrove whilst on parental leave from Abigail Bergstrom at Bergstrom Studio in a six-figure, two-book deal and will be published as Dialogue’s super lead debut fiction in spring 2023.

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Rosewater feels like a song for the dreamers who are trying to find their way. It is a wonderful, messy, heart-filled novel." - Jendella Benson A paeon to a queer love affair that's sexy, complex and romantic. Effortlessly capturing our uncertain zeitgeist" Evening Standard I’m not going,’ I say defiantly with all the strength I can induce. I’m holding in tears for fear that I’ll lose control, completely overflow and drown in my melancholy.” Little gifts us with a novel that tells of the love, courage, grace and power of a connection and a softness that propels us through the messy, harsh realities of life and self-discovery—to know yourself through the love that knows you. Elsie is loveable and frustrating and swaggering and vulnerable, a wonderful protagonist. Frank, sexy, and so tender. Little’s pen shines.” - Bolu Babalola, bestselling author of Honey and Spice and Love in Color