Michael Nath

{{Short description|British author and academic}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox writer

| name = Michael Nath

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| alt = Michael Nath in London, November 2011

| caption = Michael Nath in London, November 2011

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| occupation = Novelist and academic

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| nationality = British

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| genre = Fiction

| subject = Modernism, creative writing

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| notableworks = La Rochelle (2010),

British Story: A Romance (2014)

| spouse = Sarah Tabrizi

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| awards = James Tait Black Memorial Prize (shortlisted 2011)

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| website = [https://michaelnath.wordpress.com/ Nath's website]
[https://www.westminster.ac.uk/about-us/our-people/directory/nath-michael Michael Nath at University of Westminster]

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Michael Nath is a British author and academic in the field of English Literature. His first novel, La Rochelle (2010), was shortlisted for the 2011 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction.{{cite web|title=Book prize shortlist revealed - The University of Edinburgh|url=http://www.ed.ac.uk/news/all-news/james-tait-190511|website=ed.ac.uk|accessdate=6 May 2016}} His second, British Story: A Romance (2014), was a Morning Star Book of the Year.{{cite web|title=Arts round-up 2014|url=http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-5f55-Arts-round-up-2014-1-2-3-4|website=morningstaronline.co.uk|accessdate=6 May 2016}} It was described by The Times Literary Supplement as "a wonderful exercise in novelistic virtuosity, strange and beautiful."{{cite news|title=Cardinal Stories|first=Andrew |last=Irwin| url=http://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/private/cardinal-stories/|accessdate=6 May 2016|work=The Times Literary Supplement}} His most recent novel, The Treatment,{{Cite web|url=https://www.litro.co.uk/2018/06/the-treatment/|title=The Treatment|website=Litro Magazine|access-date=27 June 2018}} (Quercus, 2020), was a critical success: The Guardian (Michael Donkor: "it is the voices and the language that make this novel such a triumph");{{Cite web |date=2020-03-27 |title=The Treatment by Michael Nath review – London's wild side |url=http://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/mar/27/the-treatment-by-michael-nath-review-londons-wild-side |access-date=2022-10-03 |website=the Guardian |language=en}} iPaper (Sarah Hughes: "His writing is addictive, sometimes strange, often beautiful");{{Cite web |date=2020-04-03 |title=Michael Nath's The Treatment is a densely written story of racism and revenge |url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/the-treatment-michael-nath-review-densely-written-story-racism-revenge-414830 |access-date=2022-04-08 |website=inews.co.uk |language=en}} Arts Desk ("A London novel to join the greats");{{Cite web |date=2020-03-01 |title=Michael Nath: The Treatment review - 'deeds, and language, such as men do use' |url=https://theartsdesk.com/books/michael-nath-treatment-review-deeds-and-language-such-men-do-use |access-date=2022-04-08 |website=theartsdesk.com |language=en}} Morning Star (Paul Simon: "beautifully vulgar");{{Cite web |date=2020-04-21 |title=The Treatment by Michael Nath |url=https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/c/treatment-michael-nath |access-date=2022-10-03 |website=Morning Star |language=en}} Tablet (hailed by AN Wilson: "Some of the most interesting dialogue I’ve read in years … a fantastic book");{{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=A.N. |title=Blackest and best |url=https://www.thetablet.co.uk/books/10/17984/blackest-and-best |access-date=2022-04-08 |website=The Tablet |language=en}} Metro (Anthony Cummings: "a maverick project that defies comparison").

In The Guardian, David Peace selected it as "The Book I Wish I’d Written".{{Cite web |date=2021-07-30 |title=David Peace: 'My comfort read? Old Labour party manifestos' |url=http://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jul/30/david-peace-my-comfort-read-old-labour-party-manifestos |access-date=2022-04-08 |website=the Guardian |language=en}} Ardal O’Hanlon recently selected it as a favourite novel (Hatchards Q&A).{{Cite web |last=O'Hanlon |first=Ardal |date=26 May 2022 |title=Talk of Town: Ardal O'Hanlon |url=https://www.hatchards.co.uk/ardal-ohanlon-q&a-blog |website=Hatchards}}

It was also one of iPaper's, the 40 Best Books of 2020;{{Cite web |date=2020-06-19 |title=40 of the best books so far this year, from The Mirror and The Light to Grown Ups |url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/books/40-best-books-published-2020-hilary-mantel-marian-keyes-450330 |access-date=2022-04-08 |website=inews.co.uk |language=en}} a Daily Telegraph Best Crime Novel of 2020;{{Cite news |last=Kerridge |first=Jake |date=2020-11-28 |title=The best crime and thriller novels of 2020 |language=en-GB |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/what-to-read/best-crime-thriller-novels-2020/ |access-date=2022-04-08 |issn=0307-1235}} Novel of the Year in the Morning Star;{{Cite web |date=2020-12-04 |title=Books with Paul Simon |url=https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/c/books-with-paul-simon |access-date=2022-04-08 |website=Morning Star |language=en}} a Best Book of 2020, Arts Desk;{{Cite web |date=2020-12-31 |title=Best of 2020: Books |url=https://theartsdesk.com/books/best-2020-books |access-date=2022-04-08 |website=theartsdesk.com |language=en}} and Sunday Times Crime Club Paperback of the week.

The Treatment  has acquired a reputation: "Publishers should be less risk-averse. Look at […]  The Treatment by Michael Nath; if novels are going to survive, novelists have a responsibility to push the boundaries." [David Peace]{{Cite web |date=2022-04-02 |title=David Peace: 'Publishers should be less risk-averse' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/apr/02/david-peace-publishers-should-be-less-risk-averse |access-date=2022-04-08 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}

Nath is presently working on a novel about The Fall.

Nath is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Westminster, London specialising in modernism and creative writing;{{cite web|title=Live'n'Local: Introducing Michael Nath|url=https://rochesterlitfest.com/2015/06/19/livenlocal-introducing-michael-nath/|website=Rochester Literature Festival|date=19 June 2015}}{{cite web|title=Conference report: A Century On: Modernist Studies in Wales|url=https://modernistnetworkcymru.org/2015/09/23/conference-report-a-century-on-modernist-studies-in-wales/|website=MONC: Modernist Network Cymru|accessdate=7 May 2016|date=23 September 2015}} his work has been featured by the Tate Gallery.{{cite web|title=Modernity in Conflict - Michael Nath - Tate|url=http://www.tate.org.uk/context-comment/audio/modernity-conflict-michael-nath|website=tate.org.uk|accessdate=6 May 2016}}

Nath lives in London with his wife, the neuroscientist Sarah Tabrizi.

{{cite web|title=Who's Who 2016 - Tabrizi, Prof. Sarah Joanna|url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U283358/|website=Who's Who 2016|accessdate=10 May 2016}}

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