Epigram Books Fiction Prize 2015 Longlist

Devout Catholic school teacher Annabelle Thong never thought her chastity was a liability – until she runs away to Paris to find Prince Charming.

Enrolling herself at the Sorbonne, she meets the suave Patrick Dudoigt, but he’s the one temptation she MUST resist. Annabelle’s belief system is challenged on all fronts, and her naïveté is seen as gauche in the City of Love. Guilt and confusion make for dangerous bedfellows, and when her fellow university students enthusiastically combine reading and rioting, Annabelle can’t help but wonder if everyone’s gone mad – or is it just her? 

Annabelle Thong takes a hilarious look at the sparks that fly when East meets West, and the passions these ignite.

About the Author

Imran Hashim fell in love with France a little late in life (in his teens) but made up for it by studying French with a vengeance at the National University of Singapore.

He went on to win a French Government Scholarship for his postgraduate studies at the Sorbonne and Sciences Po Paris.

Apart from providing the inspiration for his first novel, his time in Paris prepared him for jobs with an international focus, and is currently working for a British university.