Malcolm Knox
The First Friend
Wednesday 11th September 2024 - 6:30pm
Book now!
Even the worst person has a best friend.
Join us for an evening of conversation between Malcolm Knox and Michael Brissenden to celebrate the publication of Malcolm's newest novel, The First Friend.
A tour de force set in Stalin's Soviet Union in 1938, this chilling black comedy it is at once a satire and a thriller, a survivor's tale in which a father has to walk a tightrope every day to save his family from a monster and a monstrous society.
The Soviet Union 1938: Lavrentiy Beria, 'The Boss' of the Georgian republic, nervously prepares a Black Sea resort for a visit from 'The Boss of Bosses', his fellow Georgian Josef Stalin. Under escalating pressure from enemies and allies alike, Beria slowly but surely descends into murderous paranoia. By his side is Vasil Murtov, Beria's closest friend since childhood. But to be a witness is dangerous; Murtov must protect his family and play his own game of survival while remaining outwardly loyal to an increasingly unstable Beria. The tension ramps up as Stalin's visit and the inevitable bloodbath approaches. Is Murtov playing Beria, or is he being played?
The First Friend is a novel in a time of autocrats, where reality is a fiction created by those who rule. A chilling black comedy, The First Friend imagines a gangster mob in charge of a global superpower and in doing so reflects on Putin's Russia, Trump's America, Xi's China and Murdoch's planet Earth. Where safety lies in following official fictions, is a truthful life the ultimate risk?
Light refreshments and beverages will be provided on the evening, and the book will be available for purchase. We're looking forward to seeing you there!
Book now!