ABOUT
THE BOOK

2020 Longlist

In New York, Alice, a young editor, begins an affair with Ezra Blazer, a world-famous, much older writer. At Heathrow airport, Amar, an Iraqi-American economist en route to Kurdistan, is detained by immigration. Somehow their lives are connected, in this unconventional love story that has things to say about all of contemporary life.

Told in three distinct and uniquely compelling sections, Asymmetry explores the imbalances that spark and sustain many of our most dramatic human relations: inequities in age, power, talent, wealth, fame, geography, and justice.

About the Author

Lisa Halliday’s work has appeared in The Paris Review and she is the recipient of a 2017 Whiting Award in Fiction. She previously worked at The Wylie Agency and is a freelance editor and translator in Milan. Her first novel, Asymmetry, was published by Simon and Schuster in 2018.

Librarian’s Comments

Lisa Halliday’s striking debut about the relationship between an ageing writer and a young woman set during the invasion in Iraq. Openbare Bibliotheek Gent, Belgium

Lisa Halliday’s Asymmetry explores the imbalance of human relationships as reflected in two vastly different narratives. Boston Public Library, USA

Told in three distinct yet inter-connected sections, this inventive and unforgettable debut explores the imbalances of human relations. From inequities in age, power, wealth, talent, class, fame and justice, Halliday weaves a subversive tale that captivates the reader while pushing the boundaries on the nature of fiction itself.  Chicago Public Library, USA