LONGLISTED FOR THE AUTHORS' CLUB BEST FIRST NOVEL AWARD 2026
AN OBSERVER BEST DEBUT OF 2025

'Astonishing' LUCY ROSE
'Biting and rich' MOLLY AITKEN
'Unforgettable' OBSERVER
'A novel of rare power' GABRIELLE GRIFFITHS

Myma, do you hear it? Myma, do you hear? Myma?

Maya and Daughter live in complete isolation in a secluded woodland, their days aligned with the light and changing seasons, a complex pattern of routine and ritual.

One day, when Daughter is almost sixteen, a red-haired stranger steps into the confines of their territory. Where there was always two, suddenly there are three - and the carefully constructed world that Maya has built to keep her daughter safe may not survive it.

"Unforgettable . . . Wonderfully linguistically playful . . . A book that expertly balances light and dark, childish play and the most adult of terrors . . . [Irvin's] uninhibited, guttural voice carries this magical realist folk fairy-tale, with a little of Max Porter in Irvin's playful, primal prose . . . A masterful, murky and fierce debut" - * Observer *

"Tender [and] captivating . . . In impish yet tender style, Irvin thoughtfully explores what it means for a mother to care for a daughter in a world where male violence is everywhere. Life Cycle of a Moth is the very best kind of fiction: with the book open, you feel utterly transported; once you close it, you see how cunningly it holds a mirror up to reality. I can't wait to read whatever Irvin writes next" - * Guardian *