We’re very excited to be reuniting Deborah Levy and Hannah Dawson at Sutton House as part of Feminist Book Fortnight.

Following the acclaimed Things I Don't Want to Know, Deborah Levy returns to life writing, particularly writing about how it is to be 'a woman in a world that is not geared to your advantage.' After dismantling her marriage, Levy starts again at 50, deliberately not choosing to be a minor character as a wife and mother, having built a home that is arranged for everyone except herself.

'Above all else, it is an act of immense generosity to be the architect of everyone else's well-being. This task is still mostly perceived as women's work. Consequently, there are all kinds of words used to belittle this huge endeavour.'

Without pity Levy describes her transition to a new life outside of what is expected, despite patriarchy's need to diminish her powers. The Cost of Living reveals a writer in radical flux, considering what it means to live with value and meaning and pleasure. This perfectly crafted snapshot of a woman in the process of transformation is as distinctive, wide-ranging and original as Levy's acclaimed novels, an essential read for every Deborah Levy fan.

Deborah Levy is a British playwright, novelist and poet. She is the author of six novels, Beautiful Mutants (1986); Swallowing Geography (1993); The Unloved (1994); Billy & Girl (1996), Swimming Home (2011) and a collection of short stories, Black Vodka (2013). She has written for the Royal Shakespeare Company and the BBC. Hot Milk was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2016.

Hannah Dawson is a historian of ideas at King’s College London. She has published widely and is a regular contributor to broadcast and live media, most recently programmes for BBC Radio 4 about gender inequality and free speech, and Guardian Masterclasses on the history of feminism. Her latest book is Life Lessons from Hobbes (2013) and she is currently editing The Feminists for Penguin Classics.