{"title":"Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"centre-book-ayesha-manazir-siddiqi-9781529097825","title":"The Centre","description":"'Absolutely stunning . . . thrilling and unique' - Gillian Flynn 'Creepy, provocative and wildly entertaining' - Emma Stonex 'A banger!' - Chelsea G Summers 'Fantastic . . . compelling . . . wonderful' - The Observer  Welcome to The Centre. You'll never be the same . . .   Anisa Ellahi spends her days writing subtitles for Bollywood films in her London flat, all the while longing to be a translator of ‘great works of literature’. Her boyfriend Adam’s extraordinary aptitude for languages only makes her feel worse, but when Adam learns to speak Urdu practically overnight, Anisa forces him to reveal his secret.  Adam tells Anisa about the Centre, an elite, invite-only programme that guarantees total fluency in any language in just ten days. Sceptical but intrigued, Anisa enrols. Stripped of her belongings and contact with the outside world, she undergoes the Centre’s strange and rigorous processes. But as she enmeshes herself further within the organization, seduced by all that it’s made possible, she soon realizes the disturbing, hidden cost of its services.  By turns dark, funny and surreal, The Centre takes the reader on a journey through Karachi, London and New Delhi, interrogating the sticky politics of language, translation and appropriation with biting specificity, and ultimately asking: what price would you be willing to pay for success?  A remarkable debut from Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi, announcing the arrival of an extraordinary new talent.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49559146070289,"sku":"GOR013250990","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49660913090833,"sku":"GOR013539132","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49751103930641,"sku":"NGR9781529097825","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49850059391249,"sku":"GOR013474707","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52662684385553,"sku":"NLS9781529097825","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ WELL_READ \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53143817847057,"sku":"GOR014772795","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1529097827.jpg?v=1751055580"},{"product_id":"centre-book-ayesha-manazir-siddiqi-9781529097849","title":"The Centre","description":"Shortlisted for the Nota Bene Prize  'Absolutely stunning . . . thrilling and unique' - Gillian Flynn 'Creepy, provocative and wildly entertaining' - Emma Stonex 'A thrillingly ambitious literary chiller' - The Guardian  Welcome to The Centre. The cost may be high, but you'll never be the same . . .   Anisa Ellahi longs to become a translator of 'great works of literature', but right now she is stuck in her London flat writing subtitles for Bollywood films.  Then she is told about the Centre, an elite, invite-only programme that guarantees complete fluency in any language in just ten days. Seduced by all that it could make possible, Anisa enrols. But the Centre's services come at a disturbing hidden cost. Still - it's worth it, right? After all, success comes at a price . . .  By turns dark, funny and surreal, The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi takes the reader on a journey through Karachi, London and New Delhi. Throughout it interrogates the sticky politics of language, translation and appropriation and asks: what price would you be willing to pay for success?  'Fantastic . . . This Black Mirror take on the world of language opens up questions of cultural appropriation, the power of language, memory and privilege' – The Observer","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49869726581009,"sku":"NGR9781529097849","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50108407873809,"sku":"GOR013858079","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50295817240849,"sku":"GOR013915922","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51469215072529,"sku":"GOR014292236","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52142961983761,"sku":"NLS9781529097849","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1529097843.jpg?v=1750761079"},{"product_id":"centre-book-ayesha-manazir-siddiqi-9781638930549","title":"The Centre","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eNew Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e Best Book of the Year \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e- \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e Editors' Choice \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e- \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn Amazon Editors' Pick for Best Mystery, Thriller \u0026amp; Suspense\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe most fascinating debut I've read in years--enigmatic, biting, absurd, and right when you think you've got it figured out, utterly horrifying. --Daniel Kraus, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eWhalefall\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Shape of Water \u003c\/i\u003e(with Guillermo del Toro)\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eA gripping, surreal mystery about language, identity, and greed. --Peng Shepherd, bestselling author of\u003ci\u003e The Cartographers\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Centre\u003c\/i\u003e draws you in with a gentle hand until it throws the mallet down. --Chelsea G. Summers, author of \u003ci\u003eA Certain Hunger\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Centre\u003c\/i\u003e is as haunting as it is tempting; this book devoured me back. --Sarah Gailey, author of \u003ci\u003eJust Like Home \u003c\/i\u003eand\u003ci\u003e Eat the Rich\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this dazzling speculative debut, a London-based Pakistani translator furthers her stalled career by attending a mysterious language school that boasts near-instant fluency--but at a secret, sinister cost (Gillian Flynn)\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAnisa Ellahi dreams of being a translator of great works of literature, but mostly spends her days subtitling Bollywood movies and living off her parents' generous allowance. 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