Soft Core

Brittany Newell is a writer and performer whose work has been published in Granta, n+1, the New York Times, Joyland, Dazed and Playgirl. She published her debut novel, Oola, at the age of twenty-one. She lives in San Francisco.

Praise for Soft Core: ‘A hugely enjoyable exploration of all the strange things people desire … Newell’s writing is sensory and evocative’ The Times‘Uncanny, almost ghostly … For a story about desire and longing, it is surprisingly spooky, full of stalkers, creeps and doubles’ Observer‘Vivid … Exhilarating … Soft Core is pacey and rich, full of verve, drama and detail’ New York Times Book Review‘A profound look at sex work and lives unusually lived, and how they can be just as banal as the “normal ones”’ Dazed‘As a writer, Newell may be one of the finest contemporary purveyors of “vibes” and in Soft Core, this sensory poeticism transports us to the depths of San Francisco’s erotic underground … a prodigal talent’ AnOther Magazine‘Incredible … the best book I’ve read this year – romantic, dangerous and sexy. It made me cry’ Katie Buckley, author of Hero in Stylist‘A wild ride through San Francisco’s dark underbelly, full of sex workers and drug dealers … brilliant on power, perception and identity. Great fun’ Daily Mail‘Newell’s gifts for sensory details … and for tracing the wavy contours of human connection make her work feel like that of a glitter-bomb David Lynch … a trippy excursion down the rabbit hole into a particular substratum of culture’ The Atlantic‘Drew me in like a whirlpool – a wild spin into loneliness and desire’ Nicola Dinan, author of Disappoint Me‘Soft Core is not just a book but a fully realised and highly seductive way of life – louche, fleshy and freestyle … Deeply impressive and fun as hell!’ Tony Tulathimutte, author of Rejection‘I was consumed by Soft Core … Newell portrays a San Francisco of dark beauty with an endless revolving door of characters sketched out with great wit … Funny, sexy and surprising, I loved it’ Pip Finkemeyer, author of Sad Girl Novel‘A beautiful fever dream, a slippery, captivating pleasure, a love story stuffed inside a wadded nylon stocking' Kristen Arnett, author of With Teeth