Double Feature: Small Boat by Vincent Delecroix | Minor Detail by Adania Shibli

This month we will experiment with discussing two short novels:
1) Small Boat by Vincent Delecroix
Kepler's | Books Inc
Fiction · 192 pages · Paperback · 2024.
Prix Goncourt Finalist. Le Monde Best Book. New York Times Notable Book.
A philosophical novel based on a true event in which a French coast guard justifies her inaction in a migrant boat tragedy.
“Thoughtful” – Le Monde. “Profound” – New York Times.
"A gut‑punch of a novel that asks: could we all do better?” – International Booker Prize judges

Small Boat is a stark, haunting meditation on moral responsibility and institutional indifference. Inspired by the real-life November 2021 tragedy in which a migrant-filled dinghy capsized in the English Channel—resulting in 27 deaths—the novel unfolds through the perspective of the French coast guard radio operator who fielded the desperate calls for help.

2) Minor Detail by Adania Shibli
Kepler's | Books Inc
Fiction · 144 pages · Paperback · 2020.
National Book Award Longlist (Translated Literature Finalist) · New York Times Notable Book · PEN Translation Prize.
A compelling exploration of violence and memory across two timelines in Palestine. “Cuts to the heart of the Palestinian experience” – New York Times. “A searing, beautiful novel” – Publisher’s Weekly.

Minor Detail unfolds in two haunting halves, meticulously woven to reflect on historical trauma and its enduring resonance; a philosophical and existential inquiry into memory, history, and erasure

**Venue**: Red Rock has kindly given us this rental space for free. Please consider making a purchase to support them. Thanks!