A Sense of Occasion

A death in the (dysfunctional) family - can they hold it together long enough to organise the funeral?

A Sense of Occasion by Brodie Crellin is described as 'sexy, terrifying, keen and startling' by Daisy Johnson, 'at once shrewd and ethereal' by Chris Kraus, and 'a rare, funny novel' by Nicola Dinan.

When Mary dies, Patch can barely keep track of her mother's journey from the hospital to the mortuary, let alone host a wake in her childhood home.

Mary's ex, Robin, wants to support his daughter but, instead of acting like a responsible father, he heads to his former haunt - the lay-by where he used to meet farmers for sex.

Jude is en route. She hasn't spoken to her cousin Patch in almost a year and would rather stay in Naples, but she's hoping that her attendance will mean that past behaviour is forgiven.

Thrown together in Mary's tiny house, each of them is trying to feel something - to grieve, atone, join in, be better. But they rarely have one another's best interests at heart, and as the connections between them twist and contort, they lose sight of the rules and grasp towards anything that might make it all less painful.

'Sexy and intelligent' Merve Emre

'Immensely fun' Lizzy Stewart

'I can't remember the last time I read something so bold, tender, sexy and funny' Camilla Grudova

'Crellin explores the boundless complications of sexuality, desire and love' Rachel Connolly

'Immersive, visceral, tender' Harriet Armstrong