Polly Stenham: 5 books

You were brought up on mythology. Hollow mythology. That's why you're all stuck, all angry, a prince in the wrong story. A prince with a black eye. Fleeing a world he has rejected, Robin finds solace in his music and the sanctuary of his remote family home. But as his kingdom begins to crumble...

Wild and newly single, Julie throws a late night party. In the kitchen, Jean and Kristina clean up as the celebration heaves above them. Crossing the threshold, Julie initiates a power game with Jean. It descends into a savage fight for survival. Polly Stenham reimagines August Strindberg's...

I can't take care of you anymore. I can't take it. It's like an endless boxing match. Mia is at boarding school. She has access to drugs. They are Martha's. Henry is preparing for art college. He has access to alcohol. From Martha. Martha controls their lives. Martha is their mother. That...

Come on troops. Let's take check: Finn Bar, slightly ruffled but still in fighting form. Maggie, could do with a full night's sleep but otherwise all in order... Stay here. Don't answer the door. I'll go out and get some proper food. In a new flat, three children play hide and seek. Eliot wears...

And what does sorry mean? Nothing really. It's just a word. It's what people say when it's too late. It's a sorry little stick of a word. Slick with your spit at my feet. Secluded, isolated, the perfect desert-island escape. Just what Robert and the family need. But beyond the white sand and...