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Bring the House Down

By Charlotte Runcie
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Brief Description
'Punchily provocative and often bitingly funny' The Times, Book of the Month 'Binge-worthy, real, really funny' Kiley Reid 'Spiky, smart and so original' Claire Daverley 'Entertaining and very timely… One of the most enjoyable novels I've read in a long time' Guardian 'Unputdownable' Daily Mail A... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2499
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Releases 25th August 2026 (Approx. Date) Pre-order  "Bring the House Down" now to secure your copy from our first shipment

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'Punchily provocative and often bitingly funny' The Times, Book of the Month

'Binge-worthy, real, really funny' Kiley Reid

'Spiky, smart and so original' Claire Daverley

'Entertaining and very timely… One of the most enjoyable novels I've read in a long time' Guardian

'Unputdownable' Daily Mail

A ONE WOMAN SHOW
A ONE NIGHT STAND
A ONE STAR REVIEW

Theatre critic Alex Lyons made his name from his brutal, brilliant reviews.

So when he sees Hayley Sinclair's dismal one-woman show at the Edinburgh Fringe, he thinks nothing of dashing off another of his trademark one-star pans for the newspaper. He also thinks nothing of taking her home after the performance, failing at any point to mention who he is.

What he doesn't expect is for Hayley to revamp her show into a review of Alex's entire life, exposing what an awful person he really is. Worse, the show is a smash hit, and Alex is about to become national news. But can Hayley bring the establishment down without taking herself with it?

Funny and thrilling, Bring the House Down gives you a front row seat to the downfall of the people who tell us what to think. It's about art, performance, female rage, and how while revenge may be sweet, it can also be perilous.

'An enticing debut. This is a binge-worthy novel that explores our obsessions, our inner critic, and who we think we are in person and in print. Intimate, real, and really funny. This one has teeth' Kiley Reid

'Sharp, shrewd and witty… a stunning debut, one that I'm sure will be binge-read by many' Independent, Book of the Month

'Dark, obsessive and razor-sharp, this is your next Baby Reindeer fix' Elle

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780008688059

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 09 April 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: The Borough Press

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 26.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 220g

Pages: 320

Collections

Charlotte Runcie Fiction General Fiction Humour Literary Fiction Pre-order Books Pre-order General Fiction Pre-orders Pre-orders by Release Date

About the Author

Charlotte Runcie is a radio columnist and arts writer. For several years she lived and worked in Edinburgh, where she ran a folk music choir, and she now lives in the Scottish Borders. She has a secret past as a poet, having been a Foyle Young Poet of the Year with a pamphlet published by tall-lighthouse. Her memoir Salt On Your Tongue was a BBC4 Book of the Week and named a Book of the Year in the Spectator, The Scotsman and Prospect.

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  • Bring the House Down
    'Binge-worthy… intimate, real, and really funny' KILEY REID 'Bitingly sharp, witty and multi-layered' SOPHIE MACKINTOSH 'Fierce, fantastically funny' CLAIRE LOMBARDO 'I loved this incendiary debut' EMILIA HART 'Exceptional … When a man treats a woman badly, what does he deserve?' JENNIE GODFREY A one-woman show. A one-night stand. A one-star review. Theatre critic Alex Lyons made his name from his...
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  • Salt On Your Tongue
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    'An ode to the ocean, and the generations of women drawn to the waves or left waiting on the shore' - Guardian. In Salt On Your Tongue, Charlotte Runcie explores what the sea means to us, and particularly what it has meant to women through the ages. In mesmerising prose, she explores how the sea has inspired, fascinated, and terrified...
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