Louisa Treger to tour South Africa to launch her new novel Madwoman (10-11 Aug)
More about the book!

Louisa Treger will be in South Africa in August to launch her new novel Madwoman!

Treger will be at Exclusive Books Hyde Park in Joburg on 10 August, and at Exclusive Books Cavendish in Cape Town on 11 August. Details and RSVP information below.

‘A daring blend of romance, crime and history, and an intelligent exposé of the inherent injustice and consequences of all forms of oppression.’ – Tsitsi Dangarembga

‘Madwoman is one of the best, a magnificent portrayal of Nelly Bly in all her journalistic integrity and daring.’ – New York Journal of Books

About the book

In 1887 young Nellie Bly sets out for New York and a career in journalism, determined to make her way as a serious reporter, whatever that may take.

But life in the city is tougher than she imagined. Down to her last dime and desperate to prove her worth, she comes up with a dangerous plan: to fake insanity and have herself committed to the asylum that looms on Blackwell’s Island. There, she will work undercover to document – and expose – the wretched conditions faced by the patients.

But when the asylum door swings shut behind her, she finds herself in a place of horrors, governed by a harshness and cruelty she could never have imagined. Cold, isolated and starving, her days of terror reawaken the traumatic events of her childhood. She entered the asylum of her own free will – but will she ever get out?

An extraordinary portrait of a woman way ahead of her time, Madwoman is the story of a quest for the truth that changed the world.

About the author

Louisa Treger, a classical violinist, studied at the Royal College of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and worked as a freelance orchestral player and teacher. She subsequently turned to literature, earning a PhD in English at University College London, where she focused on early-twentieth-century women’s writing and was awarded the West Scholarship and the Rosa Morison Scholarship ‘for distinguished work in the study of English Language and Literature’. She is the author of the novels The Lodger and The Dragon Lady. She lives in London with her husband, children and dog.

Event details