Dawn French's 'most ambitious novel yet' signed by Penguin Michael Joseph
Penguin Michael Joseph (PMJ) has acquired Enough, a new novel from Dawn French, scheduled for publication on 21st May 2026.
Managing director Louise Moore acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Robert Kirby and Maureen Vincent at United Agents. An audiobook edition, read by French, will be released simultaneously by Penguin Random House Audio.
Following four previous novels, including the 2021 Women’s Prize longlisted Because of You and the non-fiction titles Me. You: A Diary and The Twat Files, Enough is billed as French’s “most ambitious, darkly funny and deeply human novel yet”.
Its blurb reads: “Etta is 68 years old. Happy, healthy and an active participant in her world, she’s gathered her family together for an unforgettable weekend. Tick. At 5am that Saturday morning, Etta wakes her daughter, her granddaughter, her son and her daughter-in-law up to lead everyone down to the beach.
“To ‘Etta’s Hollow’, where a roaring fire has already been lit. Drowsy but delighted – the sun is just starting to rise for a glorious dawn – Etta’s family bask in the beauty of the moment. A memory to be cherished forever. Tick. Until 20 minutes later, when Etta announces to her assembled beloveds something as shocking as it is alarming. ‘I have brought you all down to the beach this morning to tell you something important. You see, the thing is, today is my last day alive.’ Boom. Over the next 24 hours, Etta and her family are about to have the most surprising, affecting life-affirming day of all their lives.”
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French said: “Through writing Etta, I have faced a fear. I have attempted to write as fearlessly as I can about getting older and facing the endgame, as we all must. Is Etta selfish or selfless when she proposes the ultimate answer to aging? When I began this novel, I was uncertain of how it would end. I decided to let the characters persuade me one way or the other. I wanted end of life to affirm life, if you like.”
Moore said: “I have had the singular privilege of publishing Dawn French for 16 years now – never have I been more in awe of her storytelling. Here is a family that feels as real and complex as your own. In confronting one of the most emotionally charged issues of our time – the right of any of us to choose our own end – I believe Enough will be one of the most talked about novels of the year. The fact that Dawn confronts this question with her signature wit, honesty and big-heartedness means readers of Enough will be laughing through the tears. Some readers may not agree with Etta, others may applaud her decisions, but in Dawn’s skilled hands they will understand her – and that is the greatest gift a novelist can offer.”
