Diary of a Void

For the sake of women everywhere, Ms Shibata is going to pull off the mother of all deceptions...

Discover this prizewinning, thrillingly subversive new novel that's perfect for fans of Convenience Store Woman and Breasts and Eggs.

Ms Shibata refuses to clear away the coffee at work one day, because she's pregnant and can't bear the smell.

The only thing is . . . Ms Shibata is not pregnant. Being a mother-to-be isn't easy. Ms Shibata has a nine-month ruse to keep up. Before long, it becomes all-absorbing, and with the help of towel-stuffed shirts and a diary app that tracks every stage of her 'pregnancy', the boundary between her lie and her life begins to dissolve.

Translated from the Japanese by David Boyd and Lucy North