The Language of Dying

'A beautiful story, honestly told' - Neil Gaiman.

From critically acclaimed author Sarah Pinborough comes a beautiful, harrowing, heartbreaking story, filled with exquisite truths.

Tonight is a special terrible night.

A woman sits at her father's bedside, watching the clock tick away the last hours of his life. Her brothers and sisters - all broken, their bonds fragile - have been there for the past week, but now she is alone.

And that's when it always comes.

The clock ticks, the darkness beckons.

Winner of the 2010 British Fantasy Award for best novella and shortlisted for the 2009 Shirley Jackson Award

“The Language of Dying will take your breath away, and send shivers up your spine, as it did mine at times. But only after it's broken your heart" - Tor.com

“This is writing in another league: honest, courageous, startling and absolutely lucid” - Graham Joyce

“A beautiful novel short, sharp and told with painful honesty, which I would say is the product of a writer at the very top of her game” - The Independent

“The contrast of beauty and despair is one that makes this book powerful and unforgettable” Fantasy-Faction

“This is scary, and terrifying, miserable and horrifying, and yet it sucks you in from the very first page through to the last, and will stick in your mind for a long time after you've closed the book” - British Fantasy Society

“A wonderful novella, The Language of Dying is a breathtakingly honest portrayal of real people going through tough times” - The Big Issue

“One of the best books I've read in a long time. It's a subtle, beautifully written, harrowing story that gets under your skin and stays with you long after you turn the final page. Highly recommended” - Starburst