The Colony

Synopsis

Lena, a photographer, takes up an offer to escape to a friend’s retreat on a remote Scottish island, where she meets like-minded new friends. But as birds start washing up on the beaches, and the spiritual teachings of the group become ever more consuming, Lena starts to doubt her desire to surrender her old self entirely.

Reminiscent of authors such as Shirley Jackson, Emma Cline and Sophie MacIntosh, as well as films like Midsommar and The Wickerman, this is a satirical exploration of the wellness industry, the human desire for escapism, and the ways in which we are all contagious, in the end.

The Colony offers a chilling, thought-provoking reflection on how easily utopias can become dystopias.

Praise for This Book

‘The serrated edges of romance provide the texture for Christiana Spens’ crisp, shimmering novel The Colony. In beautiful, hypnotic prose she powerfully evokes the scars that toxic relationships can leave while satirising the empty promises of wellness culture. It is engrossing, dark and deeply atmospheric.’ —Nicolas Padamsee, author of ‘England is Mine’

‘An enigmatic study of submission, The Colony traces the corrosive patterns of power that can ripple from one romantic relationship to the next. In doing so, Spens pairs psychological insight with a queasy fable of wellness turned sick.’ —Tom McMullan, author of ‘Groundwater’ and ‘The Last Good Man’

Reviews of This Book

‘Spens herself has described the book as ‘folk horror’, but, as unsettling as her dark, satirical takedown of wellness culture is, what leaves the most lasting impression is Lena’s brutally honest and psychologically penetrating dissection of herself. It’s a thought-provoking examination of power and submission in relationships that, in the edgy intensity of Lena’s recollections, can be deeply immersive.’ —Alastair Mabbott, The Herald

‘The Colony is a slow-burning book that reveals what it means to survive. This is a novel for readers who revel in an uneasy journey through the mind, who are interested in how the ghosts of our past can both reside in, and drive, our present.’ —Parisa Hashempour, The Skinny

Praise for Previous Work

‘Spens writes herself back to life – and it is a joy to behold.’ —Andrew Gallix, The Irish Times

‘A powerfully affecting tale of devastation and survival.’ —The Spectator

‘Spens writes beautifully about self-government … The writing is so wonderfully strong about fragility … Read it and heal; never heel to another, mind you.’ —Kirsty Allison, Ambit

‘Made up of equal parts pain, intimacy, desolation and tenderness, The Fear extracts beauty and meaning from a reckoning with great private darkness.’ —Rob Doyle, author of Threshold

‘The Fear is a brave book, both in its emotional openness and honesty, as well as in its complex editorial ambition, which in the hands of a lesser writer could become incoherent. Instead, Spens elegantly segues between the affecting context of her personal life, and a strand of cultural criticism which brilliantly reframes the first quarter of our current century.’ —Robert Greer, The Idler

‘An at times sickeningly lucid exploration of our shadow selves, a stare into heartbreak and trauma as personal and political concerns … But despite the subject matter, The Fear isn’t a depressing book. By searching in the dark places and asking herself uncomfortable questions, the author finds a strength and describes being reacquainted with forgotten parts of herself.’ —The Brixton Review of Books

‘A brilliant look at the maze of personal history and how the wounds we carry will continue to make their journey through us, one way or another.’ —Jenni Fagan

‘The Fear is an astonishing book. Spens manages to weave a hybrid tapestry, in which we move fluidly between memoir, philosophy, art and politics. The result is a book that takes us to the edge, lets us look into the abyss, makes us confront a myriad array of fears and their consequences. It is a bold, beautiful and brave book.’ —Tom de Freston, author of Wreck