Francis King's entertaining novel looks at the havoc wrought when a young Egyptian - an illegal immigrant - finds himself in London. Ahmad leads a double life, befriending and lodging with an elderly woman who suffers from MS; while at the same time throwing himself into the London gay scene. Jealousy looms when he begins a relationship with a gay protector - and is arrested because of his illegal status.

Francis King is a former International President of PEN and drama critic of the Sunday Telegraph. His numerous prize-winning novels include Act of Darkness, Dead Letters and The One and Only. Arcadia published Prodigies to great acclaim in 2001.

Reviews:

'There are not many 78-year-olds capable of surprising their audience, but King is one of them' - D.J. Taylor, The Independent