Alicia Kopf talks to Daniel Hahn

This hybrid novel – part research notes, part fictionalised diary, part travelogue – uses the stories of polar exploration to make sense of the protagonist's own concerns as she comes of age as an artist, a daughter, and sister to an autistic brother. Conceptual and emotionally compelling, it advances fearlessly into the frozen emotional lacunae of difficult family relationships. Deserving winner of multiple awards upon its Catalan and Spanish publication, Kopf has been hailed as one of the greatest emerging talents in world literature.