Glorious Exploits

One of the most original and brilliant debuts of recent years, according to the Irish Times. "Bold and completely unexpected, I loved this book," says Douglas Stuart, author of Shuggie Bain. "A very special, very clever, very entertaining novel," praises Roddy Doyle, author of Paddy Clarke, Ha Ha Ha.

The story is set in 412 BC, during the catastrophic failure of the Athenian invasion of Sicily, when thousands of Athenian soldiers are held captive in the quarries of Syracuse, hungry and despondent. Lampo and Gelon, local potters with little work and scarce resources, begin to visit the quarry where they find prisoners desperate enough to recite lines from Euripides in exchange for food.

An idea develops: the men will perform Medea in the quarry and create a performance that will remain unforgettable through the centuries. Despite their aversion to the Athenian invasion, they are drawn to its poetry. As the performance approaches, the line between enemies and friends blurs, and Lampo, who has never dreamed beyond survival, faces trials of ambition, heart, and courage that he never expected.

Glorious Exploits is a gripping and highly original tale of brotherhood, war, and art that dares to dream beyond our limits amid divine indifference.

“Insanely ambitious, cathartic like any great tragedy, but also shockingly funny, Ferdia Lennon’s outstandingly original debut is simply glorious,” notes Emma Donoghue, author of Room. “The debut author to watch... remarkable,” declares The i.