Open, Heaven

When James meets Luke, everything changes - an exhilarating tale of hidden desire and sudden freedom in the wild countryside.THE INSTANT TOP 10 IRISH BESTSELLERDYLAN THOMAS PRIZE LONGLIST 2026'An achingly beautiful story of first love' GUARDIAN'Superb... Transcendent' SARAH PERRY'Beautifully written, deeply felt' MICHAEL MAGEE'Heart-rending... Propulsive' FINANCIAL TIMESJames dreams of another life far away from his small village. Almost an adult, his newfound desires threaten to unravel his shy exterior. Then he meets Luke. Unkempt and handsome, charismatic and impulsive, he has been sent to stay with his aunt and uncle on a nearby farm.With the passing seasons, a bond emerges between them that transforms their lives. Yet James is never sure of Luke's true feelings and as the end of summer nears, he has a choice to make: will he risk everything for the possibility of love?*A Book of the Year for the Guardian, Observer, Irish Times and BBC*READERS LOVE OPEN, HEAVEN'My favourite book of the year''Gorgeous. I was completely transported''The intoxicating rush of first love. Five stars!''Breathtakingly beautiful. A story that stays with you''Heart-breaking but also triumphant. A must-read''The most truthful novel about lovethat I have read in a long time''It made my heart hurt in the best ways' HELEN MACDONALD'Hewitt writes with such tenderness and grace' ANNE ENRIGHT'Desire, yearning, fear... Intensely vivid' IRISH TIMES'Gorgeous... Piercing, intimate and euphoric' COLIN WALSH'Seán Hewitt is the real deal' BENJAMIN MYERSOpen, Heaven was an Irish top ten bestseller w/c 28 April 2025

Eine Hymne auf die Überwältigung, die es bedeutet, jung zu seinJames steht an einer Schwelle, bald ist er erwachsen. Und er träumt von einem anderen Leben weit weg: das Dorf hinter sich lassen, die Eltern enttäuschen, dem allen endlich irgendwas Lebendiges, Echtes entgegensetzen. Denn hier in verschlafenen Thornmere im Norden Englands bleibt immer alles beim Alten, seine Runde als Milchjunge, die Gottesdienste, die ewigen Sorgen um seinen kranken kleinen Bruder, die Ausgrenzung der Mitschüler. Doch dann trifft James im Herbst 2002 auf Luke - ein Jahr älter, unverschämt gutaussehend, von seinen verkrachten Eltern zur Disziplinierung aufs Land verschickt - und im Laufe eines Jahres liefert sich James neuen, unkontrollierbaren Kräften aus, einer Sehnsucht, die ihn für immer verändern, einer Frage, die ihn sein Leben lang verfolgen wird: Würde ich alles riskieren für die Möglichkeit der Liebe?Ein poetischer Roman über das Verlangen der Jugend, über die Zärtlichkeiten, Albträume und Illusionen namens Liebe. Mit den beeindruckenden sprachlichen Mitteln eines großen Dichters bestimmt Seán Hewitt das Gewicht unserer Obsessionen.

A luminous memoir from the prize-winning poet - a story of love, heartbreak and coming of age, and a tender exploration of queer identity.<BR><BR>'Beautiful' Colm Tóibín<BR>'Rapturous' New York Times<BR>'Extraordinary' Observer<BR>'Stunning' Sunday Times<BR><BR>When Seán meets Elias, the two fall headlong into a love story. But as Elias struggles with severe depression, the couple comes face to face with crisis.<BR><BR>Wrestling with this, Seán Hewitt delves deep into his own history, enlisting the ghosts of queer figures and poets before him. From a nineteenth-century cemetery in Liverpool to the pine forests of Gothenburg, Hewitt plumbs the darkness in search of solace and hope.<BR><BR>All Down Darkness Wide is a mesmerising story of heartache and renewal, and a fearless exploration of a world that too often sets happiness and queer life at odds.<BR><BR>WINNER OF THE ROONEY PRIZE FOR IRISH LITERATURE 2022<BR><BR>'Extraordinarily beautiful... the best new work of non-fiction I've read in years' Sarah Perry<BR><BR>'Rigorous and sensual... Hewitt has forged a life-enhancing memoir' Spectator

When James meets Luke, everything changes - an exhilarating tale of hidden desire and sudden freedom in the wild countryside.A GUARDIAN BEST SUMMER READTHE INSTANT TOP 10 IRISH BESTSELLER'An achingly beautiful story of first love' GUARDIAN'Gorgeous... I promise it's amazing!' JACK EDWARDS'An exquisite tale... Superb' SARAH PERRYJames dreams of another life far away from his small village. Almost an adult, his newfound desires threaten to unravel his shy exterior. Then he meets Luke. Unkempt and handsome, charismatic and impulsive, he has been sent to stay with his aunt and uncle on a nearby farm. With the passing seasons, a bond emerges between them that transforms their lives. Yet James is never sure of Luke's true feelings and as the end of summer nears, he has a choice to make: will he risk everything for the possibility of love?*Shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize 2026**A Book of the Year for the Guardian, Observer, Irish Times and BBC*READERS HAVE FALLEN FOR OPEN, HEAVEN'I adored every single moment of this phenomenal book' 'The intoxicating rush of first love. Five stars!' 'Gorgeous. I was completely transported''Breathtakingly beautiful. A story that stays with you''Heart-breaking but also triumphant. A must-read' 'It made my heart hurt in the best ways' HELEN MACDONALD'Seán Hewitt is the real deal' BENJAMIN MYERS'Beautifully written, deeply felt' MICHAEL MAGEE'Hewitt writes with such tenderness and grace' ANNE ENRIGHT'Heart-rending... Propulsive' FT'Gorgeous...intimate and euphoric' COLIN WALSHOpen, Heaven was an Irish top ten bestseller w/c 28 April 2025