Tomasz Jedrowski – the author of bestselling indie and BookTok hit SWIMMING IN THE DARK – has joined forces with dating app Hinge, contributing a brand-new short story for NO ORDINARY LOVE.
The five-part anthology, which launched on Substack on 12 May, promises to ‘celebrate the unexpected twists of real love stories’, and features five writers, including Tomasz, Upasna Barath, Hunter Harris, William Rayfet Hunter and Jen Winston each pairing with a couple who met on Hinge to retell key moments of their love story – alternating between the perspectives of both partners.
‘Inspired by first-person narration in books and movies, NO ORDINARY LOVE offers an intimate look into the mindset of early dating and follows each person’s moments of excitement and self-doubt’, reads the blurb. ‘Developed in collaboration with Dazed Studio, the anthology highlights the thoughts and feelings each couple navigated at the beginning of their relationship, encouraging daters to approach romantic connections with an open mind.’
In Tomasz’s story, Too Good to Let Go, he takes on the story of Juno and Aissata – and how they overcame their fear of long-distance relationships for a truly special connection.
The stories will be published weekly on Substack, before being collated into a limited-edition hardback book, produced by Dazed’s in-house creative and community agency, Dazed Studio, which will be distributed exclusively to select book clubs in June 2025. A foreword to the stories, written by award-winning writer and academic Roxane Gay, is available to read now.
Credit: Roxane Cassehgari
About Tomasz Jedrowski
Tomasz was born in West Germany to Polish parents and studied law at Cambridge. He lives in the countryside in central France.
His debut novel SWIMMING IN THE DARK was published by Bloomsbury in the UK and William Morrow in the USA, and has been translated into eighteen languages. Film/TV rights have been optioned, and an opera adaptation recently received its work-in-progress premiere in Key West, Florida. The novel was a finalist for the Polari First Book Prize (2021).
Praise for SWIMMING IN THE DARK
‘Marvellous, precise, poignant writing; the reader is happy to be overwhelmed. The highest talent at work.’ – Sebastian Barry
‘A lyrical exploration of the conflict between gay love and political conformity. Jedrowski is an authentic new international star.’ – Edmund White
‘Heartbreak – yes, I’m a romantic – is what we get from Tomasz Jedrowski’s exquisite debut novel, SWIMMING IN THE DARK. Set in 1980s Poland, this love story captivates and is so beautifully written I return to it again and again.’ – Guardian
‘Readers will relish the indelible prose, which approaches the mastery of Alan Hollinghurst. Jedrowski’s portrayal of Poland’s tumultuous political transformation over several decades makes this a provocative, eye-opening exploration of the costs of defying as well as complying with social and political conventions.’ – Publishers Weekly
‘A stupendous read: I could not put the book down. I urge you to order this book now. Its eloquence, its understanding of identity, belonging, loneliness and love is second to none. Powerful and uplifting.’ – Lord Michael Cashman, co-founder of Stonewall