
Fieldwork as a Sex Object
A novel of incels, influencers and AK-47s from the Women's Prize-shortlisted icon
Meena Kandasamy(Author)
Hamlyn (Publisher)
Published on 21. May 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
240 pages
978-1-84601-659-2 (ISBN)
Description
An incendiary novel of incels, influencers and AK-47s from the Women's Prize-shortlisted author of When I Hit You and the book world's answer to M.I.A.
'Kandasamy becomes more bold and exciting with each new book' SKINNY
'A one-woman, agitprop literary-political movement' INDEPENDENT
'One of fiction's most fiery and unclassifiable polemicists' GUARDIAN
Amrita goes by Amy. Amy identifies as a Marxist. Don't mind her teenage stint on reality TV and millionaire daddy who runs Delhi High Court. It's only when an AI-generated deepfake porno of her 'forwarded many times' by misinformed WhatsApp aunties goes mega-viral that sh*t gets real.
The next day, Little Miss Ally's reputation is facing a public stoning in the digital town square so damaging it could take down a Kardashian. Her executioners? A hysteric bunch of virgins - except this anonymous cartel of keyboard warriors are on a merciless crusade to eradicate desi jezebels and Make India Hindu Again.
A literary provocation about authenticity where the online turns offline turns bloody, Fieldwork as a Sex Object is not a novel you read but a novel that reads you. It asks every one of us with skin in the game what we're prepared to put on the line for our principles.
PRAISE FOR MEENA KANDASAMY:
'Thank god for writing like this' MAX PORTER
'There has never been a book quite like this' IRISH TIMES
'So so good. One of the best of the year' NIKESH SHUKLA
'It would take Carol Ann Duffy, Salman Rushdie and Arundhati Roy to match her variety' INDEPENDENT
'Kandasamy becomes more bold and exciting with each new book' SKINNY
'A one-woman, agitprop literary-political movement' INDEPENDENT
'One of fiction's most fiery and unclassifiable polemicists' GUARDIAN
Amrita goes by Amy. Amy identifies as a Marxist. Don't mind her teenage stint on reality TV and millionaire daddy who runs Delhi High Court. It's only when an AI-generated deepfake porno of her 'forwarded many times' by misinformed WhatsApp aunties goes mega-viral that sh*t gets real.
The next day, Little Miss Ally's reputation is facing a public stoning in the digital town square so damaging it could take down a Kardashian. Her executioners? A hysteric bunch of virgins - except this anonymous cartel of keyboard warriors are on a merciless crusade to eradicate desi jezebels and Make India Hindu Again.
A literary provocation about authenticity where the online turns offline turns bloody, Fieldwork as a Sex Object is not a novel you read but a novel that reads you. It asks every one of us with skin in the game what we're prepared to put on the line for our principles.
PRAISE FOR MEENA KANDASAMY:
'Thank god for writing like this' MAX PORTER
'There has never been a book quite like this' IRISH TIMES
'So so good. One of the best of the year' NIKESH SHUKLA
'It would take Carol Ann Duffy, Salman Rushdie and Arundhati Roy to match her variety' INDEPENDENT
Reviews / Votes
A one-woman, agitprop literary-political movement * Independent * One of fiction's most fiery and unclassifiable polemicists * Guardian * Kandasamy's work becomes more bold and exciting with each new book * Skinny * It would take Carol Ann Duffy, Arundhati Roy and Salman Rushdie to match her infinite variety * Independent * There has never been a book quite like this * Irish Times * Thank god for writing like this -- Max Porter, praise for EXQUISITE CADAVERS This book is so so good. One of the best of the year -- Nikesh Shukla, praise for WHEN I HIT YOUMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Octopus Publishing Group
Product notice
Paperback (UK-trade)
Dimensions
Height: 213 mm
Width: 134 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
250 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-84601-659-2 (9781846016592)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
05/2026
Brazen
€12.99
Available for download
Person
MEENA KANDASAMY is a poet and activist based in South India. Her previous novel, When I Hit You, was shortlisted for the Women's Prize. It was also Book of the Year in the Financial Times, Observer, Daily Telegraph, Irish Times and others.
In 2022, Meena was awarded a PEN Prize and elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
In 2022, Meena was awarded a PEN Prize and elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.