Carte - Universality, Paperback/Natasha Brown

LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2025. From the author of Assembly - A SPECTATOR, BBC AND DAZED BOOK OF THE YEAR. On an abandoned Yorkshire farm, a group of hippie-anarchists have taken up residence to build a new society. When their leader is brutally bludgeoned with a solid gold bar, an ambitious young journalist sets out to uncover the truth behind the attack. The longread exposé she writes goes viral - but is there more to the story than meets the eye? Universality unravels the messy aftermath of that exposé through the perspective of each of the mystery's key players: a self-pitying banker, a columnist with secrets, a cult leader with dreams, and a fugitive with nothing left to lose. The follow-up to Natasha Brown's Assembly is a twisty, slippery story of media, class, power and truth. Cutting through the noise, it reveals British society today for what it is. " A searing, state-of-the-nation novel. " ( STYLIST ) " Confirms Natasha Brown as a major talent. " ( OBSERVER ) " A brilliant, unusual social x-ray of modern Britain ." ( ANDREW O'HAGAN ) " It is impossible to not get utterly sucked in ." ( JENNY MUSTARD ) " One of the most intelligent voices writing today ." ( GUARDIAN ) " Original, vital, and unputdownable ." ( TESS GUNTY ) " Brown is an astute political observer, easily dismembering cancel culture and our media circus. " ( NEW STATESMAN ) " An instant classic ." ( ELLE ) " Utterly phenomenal ." ( ELIZABETH DAY ) " Smart, twisty and original. " ( DAVID NICHOLLS ) " A sharp, clever take on contemporary culture. " ( DAILY MAIL ) " In a class of her own. " ( FINANCIAL TIMES )