Tape - Tapa dura

‘Truly gripping... a cleverly structured, movingly characterised and powerful tale.’ The Sunday Times

‘Beautifully controlled – a tender love story about grief, regret, healing and hope... builds to a wonderfully rewarding ending.’ Daily Mail

‘Deftly structured... an impressive debut.’ Telegraph

‘Steven Camden is a born storyteller. Read TAPE, rewind, then read it again.' Phil Earle

‘Time-warping escapism. I loved it!’ Jordan, Rizzle Kicks

'Steven is one of my greatest influences, he is a powerhouse in his field, both looked to and admired. This book is just as original, playful as Steven is. Full of heart.' Laura Dockrill

“An affectionate tribute to the mixed tape and the human desire to find a fairy tale. It encapsulates universal themes of love, hope and fate while adding a soupcon of magic. Camden writes sensitively from the perspective of different genders, evoking the dynamics of family dramas and the awkwardness of coming of age.” The Bookbag

TAPE is an outstanding debut. Told with crackling prose, shimmering with humour and deeply moving, it will haunt anyone who reads it...

Record a voice and it lasts forever...

In 1993, Ryan records a diary on an old tape. He talks about his mother’s death, about his dreams, about his love for a new girl at school who doesn’t even know he exists.

In 2013, Ameliah moves in with her grandmother after her parents die. There, she finds a tape in the spare room. A tape with a boy’s voice on it – a voice she can’t quite hear, but which seems to be speaking to her.

Ryan and Ameliah are connected by more than just a tape.

This is their story.