Colin Walsh Kala

€17.99

Out of Stock
Kala Kala
Code 9781838958756

A gripping literary page-turner from a rising Irish talent in which former friends, estranged for fifteen years, reckon with the terrifying events of the summer that changed their lives.

Out of Stock
Email me when back in stock
Description

Binding: Paperback

Date Published: 06 Jul 2023

'Impressive... Walsh brilliantly conveys the cruelty, self-absorption and vulnerability of teenagers, their shifting allegiances and betrayals, as well as their love for one another... His characterisation is superb and he has a vivid turn of phrase. Kala heralds an exciting new voice'
- Observer

'This shimmering novel teems with tension and is so brilliantly executed it's hard to believe it's a debut'
- The Bookseller

'I was kept awake until the birds were singing. What a story. I was riveted. It captures so much of the essence of the thrill and excitement of teenage summers, the wonderful optimism of youth and first loves, and the ease with which corruption and evil can take hold and thrive. This is a dazzling novel.'
- Donal Ryan, Booker-listed author of The Queen of Dirt Island

'Kala is a thriller - and a lot more. It is exciting and cleverly structured, but its great strength is the characters: they are terrific.'
- Roddy Doyle, the Booker Prize-winning author of Life Without Children

'Now here's a truly ambitious debut novel that purrs with narrative confidence - hugely engaging and thoroughly addictive.'
- Kevin Barry, Booker-listed author of Nightboat to Tangiers

'Kala is so good. Skilfully assembled, suspenseful, brilliant about being a teenager and then of the difficult experience, as an adult, of going back home'
- Sara Baume, author of Seven Steeples

'The very definition of page-turner, full of big personalities, rapid twists and unpredictable moments, cast both in vivid colour and deepest shadow. I tore through it.'
- Lisa McInerney, author of The Rules of Revelation

'A compelling, moving novel... Simmering with darkness and rich with the accumulation of life'
- Rebecca Watson, author of Little Scratch

'A debut novel of skill and fire, Kala crackles with passion as it depicts the urgent bonds of youth and the monsters that emerge when we peer into the past.'
- Rob Doyle, author of Threshold

'Colin Walsh's debut is a heartbreaking story of love and lost youth that is at once tender and absolutely gutting. Psychologically rangy and ultimately riveting, Kala is a book you'll not just read and love, but lend to those you love'
- Smith Henderson, author of Fourth of July Creek

'A slow burner that draws you in and spins you around until you don't know where you stand. It kept my heart pounding and my head guessing until the very end.'
- Aingeala Flannery, author of The Amusements

About the Author

Colin Walsh's short stories have won several awards including the RTE Francis MacManus Short Story Prize and the Hennessy Literary Award. In 2019 he was named Hennessy New Irish Writer of the Year. His writing has been published in the Stinging Fly, the Irish Times and broadcast on RTE Radio 1 and BBC Radio 4. KALA is his first novel. He is from Galway and lives in Belgium.

Delivery Info

We provide FREE delivery in the Republic of Ireland when you spend €49 or more. 

FREE Click & Collect from The Ennis Bookshop. You will not be charged for this service.  We are happy to arrange Delivery outside Ireland. Please e-mail us at enquiries@ennisbookshop.ie for more information. 

Find out more about our Delivery & Collection services

Returns Policy

We want you to be completely satisfied with your order and we would hope to resolve any problems you may have. If you are unhappy with your purchase, we will exchange or refund the item or issue a credit note, providing the goods are not damaged and all packaging is still intact.

Terms and conditions apply.

Please view our full Returns Policy for further information.

Back to results page
Click to view complete product details

More Like This

Tana French fans will relish Kala's stylish prose and slowburn menace... An impressive debut -- Justine Jordan * Guardian, Best Summer Reads *
With promised shades of Donna Tart and Tana French, this is the thriller of the moment * The i Paper, Best Summer Reads *
A sizzling debut of nostalgia and secrets... With the strong group dynamic and the lingering promise of bloodshed, comparisons to Donna Tartt's The Secret History are justified. Kala is both a genuine page-turner and a profound meditation on memory and how it shapes our lives - how our past selves forever haunt the people we become -- Ruth Gilligan * Guardian *
A stonkingly good read, especially if you're looking for something gripping, pacy and plot-driven... This is a masterful reworking of the whodunnit, one you'll have immense difficulty putting down -- Lucy Sweeney Byrne * Irish Times *
Luminous, unforgettable... Gorgeous and lingering, Kala is not to be missed -- Alison Flood * Observer *
Compelling... Kala is an addictive read, with a pacy denouement - and explosive revelation - that's more than worth the wait. -- Claudia Rowan * Daily Telegraph *
Impressive... Walsh brilliantly conveys the cruelty, self-absorption and vulnerability of teenagers, their shifting allegiances and betrayals, as well as their love for one another... His characterisation is superb and he has a vivid turn of phrase. Kala heralds an exciting new voice -- Lucy Popescu * Observer *
A vividly spun web of a novel, in which allegiance, betrayal, complicity and the truth of what happened to Kala interweave... Walsh's pin-balling language seems to contain within it both the volatile ecstasy of being young, and the precipitous darkness that often accompanies it. A compulsive joy. -- Claire Allfree * Daily Mail *
The characters unfold beautifully on the page as the plot builds to breakneck speed. A mesmerising debut thriller wrapped in lyrical writing * Woman & Home, Book of the Month *
This shimmering novel teems with tension and is so brilliantly executed it's hard to believe it's a debut * The Bookseller, Editor's Choice *
I was kept awake until the birds were singing. What a story. I was riveted. It captures so much of the essence of the thrill and excitement of teenage summers, the wonderful optimism of youth and first loves, and the ease with which corruption and evil can take hold and thrive. This is a dazzling novel. * Donal Ryan, Booker-listed author of The Queen of Dirt Island *
Kala is a thriller - and a lot more. It is exciting and cleverly structured, but its great strength is the characters: they are terrific. * Roddy Doyle, the Booker Prize-winning author of Life Without Children *
Now here's a truly ambitious debut novel that purrs with narrative confidence - hugely engaging and thoroughly addictive. * Kevin Barry, Booker-listed author of Nightboat to Tangiers *
Kala is so good. Skilfully assembled, suspenseful, brilliant about being a teenager and then of the difficult experience, as an adult, of going back home * Sara Baume, author of Seven Steeples *
The very definition of page-turner, full of big personalities, rapid twists and unpredictable moments, cast both in vivid colour and deepest shadow. I tore through it. * Lisa McInerney, author of The Rules of Revelation *
A compelling, moving novel... Simmering with darkness and rich with the accumulation of life * Rebecca Watson, author of little scratch *
A debut novel of skill and fire, Kala crackles with passion as it depicts the urgent bonds of youth and the monsters that emerge when we peer into the past. * Rob Doyle, author of Threshold *
Colin Walsh's debut is a heartbreaking story of love and lost youth that is at once tender and absolutely gutting. P

Close

POP-IN HTML goes here

Close

Your Basket

Your basket is currently empty