Supporting Act

by Agnes Lidbeck, Nichola Smalley (Translator)

Overview

The first novel in English from a major talent of European literature, feted by Katie Kitamura and Claire Messud.

The social contract is non-negotiable. The woman must be a mother. The woman must be desirable. The woman must be a caregiver. When Anna gives birth, she surrenders completely to motherhood, reshaping her body, identity and purpose, shielding herself from the burden of her own desires. But as her marriage crumbles and her children grow independent, she needs a new role. An affair with an ageing writer, Ivan, offers her a new narrative, a way to rewrite herself. But no role lasts forever, and sooner or later Anna must confront the woman beneath the performance.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781916806085
Publisher:	Peirene Press Ltd
Publication date:	07/02/2025
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.72(h) x 0.63(d)

About the Author

Agnes Lidbeck is one of Sweden’s most prominent and versatile contemporary writers. She made her literary debut with Supporting Act in 2017, which was shortlisted for the Svenska Dagbladet Prize and won the Borås Tidning Debut Novel Prize. She went on to write Förlåten (‘Forgiven’, 2018), Gå förlorad (‘Get Lost’, 2019), Nikes bok (‘Nike's Book’, 2021) and All min kärlek (‘All my Love’, 2023 - forthcoming in 2026 from Peirene Press). Lidbeck also writes for the stage and is known for her sharp, minimalist style. 

Nichola Smalley is a translator of Swedish and Norwegian literature. Her translation of Andrzej Tichý’s Wretchedness won the 2021 Oxford-Weidenfeld Prize and was shortlisted for the Bernard Shaw and International Booker Prizes. Her translation of A System So Magnificent It Is Blinding by Amanda Svensson was longlisted for the International Booker Prize 2023.

Editorial Reviews

‘A powerhouse novel about the construction and execution of female identity. In its pages, motherhood, marriage and the very notion of care are meticulously deconstructed. What a writer Agnes Lidbeck is – bold, blisteringly intelligent, deliciously playful.’ – Katie Kitamura, author of Audition and Intimacies 

 ‘Taut, restrained, fiercely frank, Agnes Lidbeck's Supporting Act is a feminist tour de force.’ – Claire Messud, author of This Strange Eventful History 

 ‘Perfectly captures the feminised dream-state of caring – and living – for others.’ – Stephanie Sy-Quia, author of A Private Man and Amnion 

 ‘In my years as a literary critic I have rarely come across anything like it. Supporting Act is a sensational debut.’ – Expressen 'Agnes Lidbeck has written a sharp and haunting debut.’ – Kulturnytt 

'Sometimes you come across real gems: books that are interesting, well-written, and well- balanced between linguistic style and an engaging story. Rarely, do they come from debut writers. Lidbeck’s debut novel, about women’s roles and self-realization, is an exception.’ – Borås Tidning

From the Publisher