We are excited to share the cover reveal for LATE SEPTEMBER by Amy Mattes set to be released by Nightwood Editions on April 13, 2024!
LATE SEPTEMBER is an intimate queer coming-of-age tale exploring the nuances of love, trauma and mental health. A compelling literary fiction pick for readers of Heather O’Neill and Zoe Whittall.
In the summer of 2000, Ines, a grief-stricken skateboarder beginning to explore her sexuality, leaves behind her sheltered hometown on a Greyhound bus bound for Montreal. In awe of the city’s vibrancy, and armed with a journal and a Discman, Ines sets out to find a new way, befriending April, a latex-loving goth who gets her a job as a cam-girl. In the midst of a bar fight Ines meets Max, a magnetic skateboarder, whom she quickly falls for.
As summer fades to fall Ines tries to uphold the bliss of their intoxicating summer, realizing that while she has escaped the confines of her small-town life, she cannot escape her past. The city changes and their romance darkens as Ines learns that Max is experiencing mental health challenges, all while a regular at the cam studio gets threateningly close. Ines learns that loving herself first requires trial and error―and that love is not always an innocent word.
Amy Mattes (she/her) holds an Anti-Oppressive Social Work degree from the University of Victoria. She occupies many positions within the field; however, being a writer of fiction and women’s non-fiction is her most upfront and long-standing endeavour. Over the years Amy was a regular contributor to Exposé Skateboard Magazine and was featured in Skate Canada, Color and SG (Snow Skate Surf Girl) Magazines. Amy was most recently published at MUTHA, a Feminist site that examines Motherhood/Reproduction from every angle. Amy’s writing tends to address struggles with identity, sexuality, grief and addiction. She loves PNW rainy days and epic movie scores.
Amy was previously represented by Chelene Knight for this deal, and is now currently represented by Carolyn Forde.
To pre-order this compelling novel, click here: https://nightwoodeditions.com/products/9780889714564