*Winner of the 2024 SHIRLEY JACKSON NOVEL AWARD*

'A gorgeously written, surrealist folktale that goes bone deep . . . Curdle Creek is simply a marvel' Paul Tremblay
'A thoughtful, sinister tour-de-force' Tananarive Due

Welcome to Curdle Creek. We're dying to make you feel at home.

Osira, a forty-five-year-old widow, is an obedient follower of the strict conventions of Curdle Creek, an all-Black town in rural America governed by a tradition of ominous rituals designed to keep the residents safe.

Curdle Creek has one particularly strict policy: one in, one out.

And one day, it is Osira's turn.

Forced into the great unknown. The sinister reality of her birthplace unravels around her. As she comes face-to-face with those she believed were lost, Osira must reckon with all she has ever been told and confront the insidious cruelties of inheritance.

'Readers who think they know where this is going will be surprised, as Osira's story has many weirder twists and turns ahead.' Guardian
'Funny and terrifying.' People
'A wonderful novel about the worst monsters of all: people.' The New York Times Book Review

"From the start, there are echoes of Shirley Jackson's The Lottery, but readers who think they know where this is going will be surprised, as Osira's story has many weirder twists and turns ahead." - Guardian

"With tight dialogue, elegant writing and a startling ending, this is a wonderful novel about the worst monsters of all: people." - The New York Times Book Review

"Funny and terrifying." - People

"Battle-Felton skilfully incorporates a lyrical flow in her writing that fuses together time travel, historical trauma, and alternative universe with great ease. Curdle Creek is a definite must read!" - Essence

"Battle-Felton skilfully weaves an allegory about the intersection of racism, paranoia, and cultlike authority masquerading as tradition and safety. It's stunningly disturbing." - Johns Hopkins Magazine

"Mind-bending . . . Battle-Felton is drawing from a deeper well of influences, including Toni Morrison's lyricism, the time-travel elements of Octavia E. Butler's Kindred and the alternative universe of Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad. . . . Battle-Felton imagines this world exceedingly well. And she never loses sight of the novel's central theme: how the need for communities to protect themselves unleashes its own anxieties and traumas." - Kirkus Reviews

"Strong world-building and genre-bending action would also make [Curdle Creek] a good fit for readers who enjoyed Matt Ruff's Lovecraft Country (2016), Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad (2016), or P. Djèlí Clark's Ring Shout (2022)." - Booklist

"This novel is perfect for fans of Shirley Jackson's classic "The Lottery"." - Book Riot