In the Time of Foxes

Shortlisted for the 2021 Prime Minister's Literary Awards

‘A fox could be a shape-shifter, a spirit being. It could appear in human form if this suited its purposes; it could come and go as it pleased, play tricks, lead men astray.’
 
A film director in Hackney with a fox problem in her garden; an escapee from a cult in Japan; a Sydney café-owner rekindling an old flame; an English tutor who gets too close to an oligarch; a journalist on Mars, face-to-face with his fate.
 
The world has taught these men and women to live off their wits. They know how to play smart, but what happens when they need to be wise?
 
In the Time of Foxes is both compellingly readable and deeply insightful about the times in which we live, each narrative a compressed novel. With an exhilarating span of people and places, woven together by the most mercurial of animals, it shows the short story collection at its most entertaining and rewarding, and introduces Jo Lennan as a captivating new storyteller.

'Each of these stories is a whole new world of experience and meaning, and to read them together is to fall utterly under Lennan’s spell as a master storyteller.' Ceridwen Dovey, author of Only the Animals

'Spanning Sydney, Kyushu, Moscow and the European surf, these are some of the best stories I’ve read this year – possibly ever. Lennan writes about men on the edge and women with secrets magnificently. These are world class stories, tales that feel so palpable, true and lived, they almost feel like an act of possession.' Benjamin Law

‘Lennan is a master at creating worlds: above all, she is able to make the small details stick.’ The Saturday Paper

'I'm absolutely blown away by the short story collection In the Time of Foxes by Jo Lennan. I can't imagine how one person has managed to live so many lives, because I'm completely convinced by each tale. If this book doesn't give birth to a few feature films I'd be surprised.' Jenny Valentish, author of Woman of Substances

‘[Lennan] writes like a dream.’ Virginia Trioli

‘I recommend all of Lennan’s stories. A writer to watch.’ Stephen Romei, The Australian

‘A commanding debut. Lennan is a talented storyteller with a new, authentic voice and In the Time of Foxes is brimming with life. Each tale feels like a novel in waiting and will leave you wanting more.’ Anna Carew-Reid, Sunday Times

‘Lennan crafts each story as a complete world … an assured debut.’ Louise Swinn, Sydney Morning Herald