Description

Two unlikely friends hatch an extraordinary scheme to expose the theater world in this wildly entertaining and sharply observed debut novel exploring perception, redemption, and how success shapes us all.

Meet Relebogile Naledi Mpho Moruakgomo. Or, for short, Eddie: an aspiring playwright who dreams of making it big in London’s theater world. But after repeated rejections from white talent agents, Eddie suspects her non-white sounding name might be the problem.

Enter Hugo Lawrence Smith: good looking, well-connected, charismatic and…very white. Stifled by his law degree and looking for a way out of the corporate world, he finds a kindred spirit in Eddie after a chance encounter at a cafe.

Together they devise a plan, one which will see Eddie’s play on stage and Hugo’s name in lights. They send out her script under his name and vow to keep the play’s origins a secret until it reaches critical levels of success. Then they can expose the theater world for its racism and hollow clout-chasing. But as their plan spins wildly out of control, Eddie and Hugo find themselves wondering if their reputations, and their friendship, can survive.

About the author(s)

Born in Botswana and raised in England, Warona Jay studied law at the University of Kent and King’s College London before switching to a creative writing PhD at Brunel. As a teen, she was shortlisted for the Sony Young Movellist of the Year Award judged by Malorie Blackman, and more recently, in 2020 she was longlisted for Penguin Random House’s WriteNow program. The Grand Scheme of Things is her debut novel.

Reviews

"Explosive from the first page, The Grand Scheme of Things gleefully lays bare the lengths artists will go to in order to achieve their dreams, as well as the hypocrisy of gatekeepers who espouse the myth of meritocracy. Never shying away from complexity while also giving readers much to delight in, Warona Jay makes an unforgettable entrance to the world of literature. Layered, hyperaware, and as entertaining as it is incendiary, Jay's debut is a hit." MATEO ASKARIPOUR, New York Times bestselling author of Black Buck

"With a combination of wit and compassion, Jay offers a trenchant examination of systemic racism in the arts from the POVs of survivors, unwitting contributors and intentional participants, while at the same time shining a light on the drives that bind us all: the desire for love, success, and a sense of worth in our communities. Jay doesn't offer easy answers or simplistic characterizations: everyone is beautifully complicated--they keep you guessing from start to finish. What a fabulous debut novel!" MEGAN CAMPISI, author of The Sin Eater

"Sharply observed, The Grand Scheme of Things is an important book about bias, white privilege and gatekeeping in the theatre and publishing industry. The story is incredibly propulsive-I was kept guessing about whether Naledi and Hugo’s plan would succeed. Jay writes about intersectional identity and belonging with great compassion and precision. A brilliant story that exposes the myth of meritocracy." —HALEH AGAR, author of Out of Touch

"American Fiction meets QueenieThe Grand Scheme of Things skewers racism in the arts, while humorously and honestly exploring the importance of community, and the what we'll do for love and success. I couldn't put it down." —JENNA CLAKE, author of Disturbance

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