SHORTLISTED FOR THE JAMES TAIT BLACK BIOGRAPHY AWARD 2025

From Hanif Kureishi, author of The Buddha of Suburbia, a memoir about the accident that left him paralysed.

‘I’ve never felt tempted to use the word “inspirational” about a book, and promise I never will again, but it’s the only word I can think of to describe Shattered’ Lynn Barber, The Spectator

Imagine your life changing in a second: one minute you are watching the football with a beer, the next you are on the floor in a pool of blood, deprived of the use of your arms and legs. This fall renders you paralysed, robbed of your independence, entirely reliant on others for everything.

This happened to writer Hanif Kureishi on Boxing Day 2022. His account of what happened and its aftermath is a unique, riveting and frequently riotous account of a year-long odyssey home through five hospitals. From despair to hope, rage to courage, it might be the most truthful, and the funniest, medical disaster story ever written.

‘Incredible. A remarkable tale of resilience – and surprisingly funny’ iNews

‘Heartbreaking. [A] masterpiece of British stoicism. Intimate, brave and uplifting’ Independent

‘Wildly inspiring. His singular voice, his bawdy humour, his efforts to create meaning, all so characteristic and moving’ Guardian