Helen Garnons-Williams, Associate Publisher at 4th Estate, has acquired British Commonwealth rights (excluding Canada) at a fiercely-fought auction, in GOOD INTENTIONS, a debut novel by 25-year-old Kasim Ali, in a six-figure two-book deal from Juliet Pickering.
Photographer Credit: Naomi Burt
GOOD INTENTIONS tells the story of Nur, a young British-Pakistani man whose attempts to do the right thing by his family, his friends and the woman he loves creates an emotional pressure cooker. Deftly exploring millennial relationships alongside the complexities of immigrant obligation and racial prejudice, it is a dazzling,
urgent and captivating debut that introduces an incredibly exciting new voice in British literature.
It’s the countdown to midnight on New Year’s Eve and Nur is steeling himself to finally tell his parents he is dating Yasmina: a woman he loves deeply, has been with for years, but cannot be honest to his family about, for one reason: Yasmina is Black.
Nur wants to be a good son to his parents and a good boyfriend to Yasmina. He wants the best for his family, but also the best for his future. Nur has kept Yasmina a secret, putting growing strain on his first serious relationship, because although his parents want the best for him too, their aspirations do not match his and he doesn’t want to upset them with his choices. But is love really a choice for him, and how does Nur decide where his loyalties lie?
Helen Garnons-Williams says, ‘GOOD INTENTIONS is a beautifully crafted, wonderfully nuanced literary novel that engages, moves and provokes in equal measure. It asks big questions, without offering easy answers, exploring the conflicting dynamics of family, culture and race and introducing us to a cast of characters who too rarely take centre stage in British fiction –for whom we come to care about deeply.’
Kasim says, ‘Like every author, I’ve imagined this moment infinitely, conducted press interviews in the shower, cast the TV adaptation right before bed. And yet, speaking to Helen and her team, hearing the news from Juliet, it all felt like a hazy dream that I’d soon wake up from. There isn’t enough space to describe my elation at getting to work with Helen on this book, someone who so clearly understands it and me, who sees the characters not only for who they are but who they so desperately want to be. I couldn’t be happier to bring this book to life with the team at 4th Estate; I’ve been carrying Nur and Yasmina with me for too long, it’s time for the world to see them now.’
Juliet says, ‘When I first returned from maternity leave last autumn I was worried that my brain might never be able to absorb a whole book again! But I read GOOD INTENTIONS in one gulp, on a blessedly long and baby-free train journey, and it completely inhabited me. Kasim’s style is fresh and quick, and this novel has so many layers to it – every time I re-read it, I find something new. I had no idea Kasim worked in publishing or that he’d written the novel in just six weeks until I met him, when we hit it off immediately despite both of these revelations. I’m thrilled to have found Kasim and his novels a wonderful home with Helen and her colleagues, whose enthusiasm and commitment were dazzling from the start.’
4th Estate will publish GOOD INTENTIONS as their lead fiction debut in Spring 2022.
Kasim Ali works at Penguin Random House and has previously been shortlisted for Hachette’s Mo Siewcherran Prize, longlisted for the 4th Estate BAME Short Story Prize, and has contributed to THE GOOD JOURNAL. He comes from Birmingham and lives in London.