Mixed Messages Extra: Read an extract from Bethnal Green, plus win a copy

Win one of three copies of Amélie Skoda’s debut novel

Hi, welcome to Mixed Messages Extra! This week, we’re giving you the chance to win one of three copies of Amélie Skoda’s debut novel Bethnal Green, out today.

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We spoke to Amélie Skoda this week ahead of the release of the new novel, which follows Suyin Lim as she’s offered a chance to train as a nurse in 1970s London. But life in Bethnal Green isn’t quite as she imagined, and with unexplained ghosts of her sister’s own experiences, Suyin’s path isn’t quite as well-lit as she hoped.

The story was inspired by Amélie’s ponderings on why her parents chose to stay in the UK after meeting here while working and studying.

“It’s an active choice to stay. What is it that makes a different country feel more like your home, like you belong here and want to put down roots? Those questions were on my mind when writing. I wanted to show that love can be a political choice, looking at the freedoms Suyin appreciates in this country and the choices she makes about what she's going to do with her life and who she's going to spend it with,” she said.

Read on to find out how to win one of three copies of this moving story, as well as dive into an exclusive extract.

Win one of three copies of Bethnal Green