Longlisted for the 2020 Stella Prize

The House of Youssef – Yumna Kassab

Fiction · Giramondo Publishing

The House of Youssef

About the book

“Rarely does a debut writer create a work this consistent in quality, technique and narrative form.”

– 2020 Stella Prize Judges

About the author


Yumna Kassab

Yumna Kassab was born and raised in Western Sydney. She completed her schooling in Parramatta, except for two formative years when she lived in Lebanon with her family. She went on to study medical science at Macquarie University and neuroscience at Sydney University. She currently teaches in regional New South Wales.

Further Reading



Reviews 

“Kassab’s stories are quietly devastating; her characters rebel in small ways instead of sweeping gestures, but mostly they go about their lives.” Sonia Nair, Australian Book Review.

“Each story is extraordinary in its ordinariness; the collection confirms that often it’s through brevity that whole worlds are formed.” Cher Tan, The Saturday Paper.

“It might be best to rid the term ‘vignettes’ and start thinking of these tales as they really are – as modern fables.” Jack Cameron Stanton, The Lifted Brow.

Links

Read ‘Dressing down the words’ by Yumna Kassab in Kill Your Darlings.

Take a peek into Yumna Kassab’s bookshelf with ‘Shelf Reflections’ in Kill Your Darlings.

Judges’ report


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