Advanced
Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi - Available

The Centre

A Novel

by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi
Balvinder Sopal
Audiobook
2 of 3 copies available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
2 of 3 copies available
A darkly comic, speculative debut following an adrift Pakistani translator in London who attends a mysterious language school which boasts complete fluency in just ten days, but at a secret, sinister cost. Anisa Ellahi dreams of being a translator of "great works of literature," but instead mostly spends her days subtitling Bollywood movies, living off her parents' generous allowance, and discussing the "underside of life" with her best friend, Naima. Anisa's mediocre white boyfriend, Adam, only adds to her growing sense of inadequacy with his savant-level aptitude for languages, successfully leveraging his expansive knowledge into an enviable career. But when Adam learns to speak Urdu with native fluency practically overnight, Anisa forces him to reveal his secret. Adam begrudgingly tells Anisa about The Centre, an elite, invite-only program that guarantees near-instant fluency in any language. Skeptical but intrigued, Anisa enrolls—stripped of her belongings, contact with the outside world, and bodily autonomy—and emerges ten days later fluent in German. As Anisa enmeshes herself further within The Centre, seduced by all that it's made possible, she soon realizes the true cost of its services. By turns dark, funny, and surreal, and with twists page-turning and shocking, The Centre takes the reader on a journey through Karachi, London, and New Delhi, interrogating the sticky politics of language, translation, and appropriation with biting specificity, and ultimately asking: what is success really worth?

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Awards

  • Release date

    July 11, 2023

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781666634488
      • File size: 248121 KB
      • Duration: 08:36:55

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      May 22, 2023
      Manazir Siddiqi’s ambitious debut packs insightful observations about racism, classism, and colonialism into a dark mystery involving translator Anisa Ellahi. Born into a wealthy family in Karachi, Pakistan, 35-year-old Anisa now lives in London and augments her lavish allowance by subtitling Bollywood films, though she dreams of a career translating literary works. At a translation conference, she meets Adam, a man who, despite his poor university marks, has parlayed his fluency in 10 languages into a well-paid career. The two begin dating, and after some badgering, Adam admits that “a super elite, super-secret” (and super expensive) language school called the Centre is responsible for his linguistic prowess. Seeing the school as her chance to make her dreams come true, Anisa signs a nondisclosure agreement and settles in for a 10-day stay at the Centre. As she learns more about the school’s methodology and its employees, however, she fears she’s made a terrible mistake. Anisa’s perceptive narration propels the novel, and Manazir Siddiqi’s sharp cultural analysis of England, Pakistan, and India deepens her devilish plot, though the ending is a bit of a letdown. Still, this marks Manazir Siddiqi as a writer to watch. Agent: Stephanie Delman, Trellis Literary.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Loading