The Birthday Party

At fifteen, Teddy Alderton is taken under the wing of renowned businesswoman Hazel Fields. His life is turned upside down when she subjects him to a harrowing sexual assault, at the same time his childhood sweetheart mysteriously disappears.

Three years later, as Teddy embraces his new life on the campus of a Liverpool University, he falls under the spell of the provocatively beautiful Alicia Reynolds. Yet the scars of Teddy's past run deep, and his quest for absolution is stalled by the ghost of his first love and a raft of unanswered questions.

Reunited with Hazel on the night of his thirtieth birthday, and still haunted by lost opportunities, Teddy is left reeling as long-buried memories are unearthed. Forced to confront the wisdom of his past choices, he reflects upon the course his life has taken, re-evaluating connections forged through politics, sex, relationships, and even his own family. All the while, the shadow of the still-absent Katie, missing since she was sixteen, casts a pall over his future.

The Birthday Party is Chris Vobe's most remarkable work to date; an intimate story of love, regret and the challenges inherent in navigating a rootless existence.