Gunk by Saba Sams

Raw, exhilarating, tender and wise, Gunk is an electrifying debut novel exploring love and desire, safety and destruction, chaos and control—and family in all its forms. Longlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize 2026 and a Finalist for the Nota Bene Prize, this novel was selected as a Book of the Summer 2025 by The Guardian, The Times, Sunday Times, independent.co.uk, Vogue, and Marie Claire.

The story centers on Jules, who is still working alongside her ex-husband Leon at Gunk, the student nightclub he owns in central Brighton, five years after their divorce. Her routine is disrupted by the arrival of nineteen-year-old Nim, a new bar worker. When Nim becomes pregnant, Jules agrees to help, leading to an increasingly intimate and perplexing relationship between the two women. The narrative follows Jules as she finds herself alone in her flat holding a newborn baby, unsure of Nim's whereabouts or return.

• "Raw, original and provoking, Saba Sams is Britain's brightest debut novelist" - Vogue
• "An immersive story about love and the softening borders around what family can be" - Sheena Patel
• "A joy to read" - The Times
• "Raw, powerful and beautiful" - Observer

• Author: Saba Sams
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Publication Date: 7 May 2026
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• Print Length: 240 pages
• ISBN-10: 1526621827
• ISBN-13: 978-1526621825
• Dimensions: 12.8 x 2.4 x 19.6 cm
• Item Weight: 170 g

Discover this nuanced exploration of friendship, queerness, and love, perfect for readers of contemporary and literary fiction.