Universality

<p><b>LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2025</b><br><b><br>From the author of <i>Assembly</i> – A <i>SPECTATOR, BBC </i>AND <i>DAZED </i>BOOK OF THE YEAR </b><br><b><br>'An instant classic.' </b><i>ELLE</i><br><b>'Utterly phenomenal.' </b>ELIZABETH DAY<br><b>'Smart, twisty and original.' </b>DAVID NICHOLLS<br><b>‘A sharp, clever take on contemporary culture.’</b> <i>DAILY MAIL</i><br><b>‘In a class of her own.’</b> <i>FINANCIAL TIMES</i><br><br>On an abandoned Yorkshire farm, a group of hippie-anarchists have taken up residence to build a new society. When their leader is brutally bludgeoned with a solid gold bar, an ambitious young journalist sets out to uncover the truth behind the attack. The longread exposé she writes goes viral – but is there more to the story than meets the eye?<br><br><i>Universality</i> unravels the messy aftermath of that exposé through the perspective of each of the mystery’s key players: a self-pitying banker, a columnist with secrets, a cult leader with dreams, and a fugitive with nothing left to lose…<br><br>The follow-up to Natasha Brown’s <i>Assembly</i> is a twisty, slippery story of media, class, power and truth. Cutting through the noise, it reveals British society today for what it is.<br><br><b>‘A searing, state-of-the-nation novel.’ </b><i>STYLIST</i><br><b>‘Confirms Natasha Brown as a major talent.’ </b><i>OBSERVER</i><br><b>'A brilliant, unusual social x-ray of modern Britain.' </b>ANDREW O'HAGAN<br><b>‘It is impossible to not get utterly sucked in.’ </b> JENNY MUSTARD<br><b>‘One of the most intelligent voices writing today.’ </b><i>GUARDIAN</i><br><b>‘Original, vital, and unputdownable.’ </b>TESS GUNTY<br><b>‘Brown is an astute political observer, easily dismembering cancel culture and our media circus.’ </b><i>NEW STATESMAN</i></p>