‘Coupe De Grace’ Author Sofia Ajram On Their Chilling New Novella

Coupe De Grace

Liminal spaces: they’re so hot right now. From the iconic House of Leaves to the hellish Skinamarink, there’s something about these empty, transitional spaces that fill us with deep dread. In his new novella Coupe De Grace, metalsmith and author Sofia Ajram delves deep into liminal spaces as a way to convey the neverending horrors of depression.

Read the full synopsis below:

Vicken has a plan: throw himself into the Saint Lawrence River in Montreal and end it all for good, believing it to be the only way out for him after a lifetime of depression and pain. But, stepping off the subway, he finds himself in an endless, looping station.

Determined to find a way out again, he starts to explore the rooms and corridors ahead of him. But no matter how many claustrophobic hallways or vast cathedral-esque rooms he passes through, the exit is nowhere in sight.

The more he explores his strange new prison, the more he becomes convinced that he hasn’t been trapped there accidentally, and amongst the shadows and concrete, he comes to realize that he almost certainly is not alone.

We spoke with Ajram about liminal spaces as metaphors, the importance of queer desire, and the book’s unique structure.

Watch now:

Coupe De Grace is available now.

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