
First Summer
Ekin Oklap(Author)
Simon & Schuster Ltd (Publisher)
Will be published approx. on 7. May 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
208 pages
978-1-3985-5924-0 (ISBN)
Description
In the heat and the green haze that seemed to surround us both like a physical presence, I felt intensely awake.
One afternoon at the start of summer, a teenage girl watches a new girl move in across the street. In Clara, the narrator recognises the same loneliness that she feels herself, but finds tenderness and laughter too. Over hot, languid days spent talking and reading side by side in the garden, the narrator is awakened to the possibility of a true connection with another human being, free of the self-consciousness she feels with others.
Meanwhile, in a distant fictional galaxy, Nadia the space explorer - the protagonist of a children's book series beloved by both girls - traverses the known universe with her companion Rosa. Their imagined adventures make sense of new and powerful feelings.
First Summer captures the innocence and agony of adolescence and the exquisite promise of love on the cusp of adulthood: a moment where fantasy is still vivid in the mind, even as adulthood looms. This story of the first summer of love echoes throughout the characters' lives and will change them forever.
'An intimate story of self-discovery.' Orhan Pamuk
One afternoon at the start of summer, a teenage girl watches a new girl move in across the street. In Clara, the narrator recognises the same loneliness that she feels herself, but finds tenderness and laughter too. Over hot, languid days spent talking and reading side by side in the garden, the narrator is awakened to the possibility of a true connection with another human being, free of the self-consciousness she feels with others.
Meanwhile, in a distant fictional galaxy, Nadia the space explorer - the protagonist of a children's book series beloved by both girls - traverses the known universe with her companion Rosa. Their imagined adventures make sense of new and powerful feelings.
First Summer captures the innocence and agony of adolescence and the exquisite promise of love on the cusp of adulthood: a moment where fantasy is still vivid in the mind, even as adulthood looms. This story of the first summer of love echoes throughout the characters' lives and will change them forever.
'An intimate story of self-discovery.' Orhan Pamuk
Reviews / Votes
'Sweet and gently affecting, this touching, indelibly wrought novel perfectly captures the transformative power of ordinary events in a young person's life.' -- Declan Fry, ABC ArtsMore details
Edition
ANZ Only
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (UK-trade)
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 135 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-3985-5924-0 (9781398559240)
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
Person
Ekin Oklap was born in Turkey, grew up in Italy, and lives in London. Her translations from Turkish and Italian have been shortlisted for the International Booker Prize and John Florio Prize, among others. First Summer is her first novel.