Whatever Happened to Rick Astley?

NOMINATED FOR THE 2023 BULAWAYO ARTS AWARDS FOR OUTSTANDING LITERARY WORK

'In turn these stories are funny, poignant, at times shocking, but always deeply moving.' – Ian Holding, Unfeeling

'[a] wonderful collection of short stories' – Siphiwe Ndlovu, The Theory of Flight

'Bryony Rheam's short stories are skilled, perfectly formed, and compelling … a deeply satisfying collection.' – Karen Jennings, An Island

Whatever happened to Rick Astley? She imagined that he was happily married with children. A record producer, perhaps? That was the usual way with singers, wasn't it?

From Bryony Rheam, the award-winning author of All Come to Dust and This September Sun, comes a collection of sixteen short stories shining a spotlight on life in Zimbabwe over the last twenty years. The daily routines and the greater fate of ordinary Zimbabweans are represented with a deft, compassionate touch and flashes of humour.

From the potholed side streets of Bulawayo to lush, blooming gardens, traversing down- at-heel bars and faded drawing rooms, the stories in Whatever Happened to Rick Astley? ring with hope and poignancy, and pay tribute to the resilience of the human spirit.