The Centre

DEBUT Siddiqi’s cleverly written debut is atmospheric and unsettling. Anisa Ellahi is a Pakistani woman in London with dreams of being a great translator of important literature. In the meantime, she is just scraping by, subtitling Bollywood films and living off a generous allowance from her parents. She finds out about the Centre, a secret language-learning program, from Adam, her rather dull boyfriend, after he becomes fluent in Urdu in only 10 days. She joins the program and soon learns a new language herself. Only later, when questioning the methods and real costs associated with the program, does Anisa discover the shocking and horrifying truth. The unlikable characters and narrative voice will leave readers feeling uneasy and uncomfortable, while the suspense builds quietly toward the final startling reveal and many interconnected social issues—immigration, language, class, privilege, gender roles—are carefully exposed.