The Booker Prize winner's poignant debut novel, a meditation on the interplay between art, exile and politics

Exiled with his wife in 1950s London, Hungarian artist Janos Lavin struggles to find financial stability and artistic freedom in his new home. A friend, John, organises an exhibition of Lavin's work, only for the artist to disappear shortly after. John tries to figure out what happened, piecing together clues from diaries, letters and artworks that slowly unveil the haunting reality of exile.

Through a tender and detailed study of the artistic process, Berger embarks on a passionate exploration of political upheaval, exile and longing in this gripping detective story.

"One day I discovered another hero, John Berger. I sat and read his first novel, A Painter of Our Time. It simply took my breath away: all the oxygen was gone from the air. It was the first of my new way of seeing." - Guardian

"Dramatizes one of the cardinal dilemmas of our age." - New York Times