Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence — An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution

A Dark Academic Masterpiece

Oxford, 1836. Robin Swift has been brought from Canton to England by the mysterious Professor Lovell, groomed for one purpose: to study at Babel, Oxford's prestigious Royal Institute of Translation. Babel is the heart of the British Empire's power — silver-worked bars engraved with translation pairs that make the impossible possible.

But as Robin grows older, he begins to see the violence beneath the beauty of empire. And when he is asked to choose between the world that made him and the people he came from, the cost of silence becomes unbearable.

Why Readers Are Obsessed with Babel

• A stunning blend of dark academia, fantasy, and colonial history
• Explores language, power, and identity with razor-sharp brilliance
• A New York Times bestseller and instant modern classic
• Perfect for fans of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell and The Secret History
• Ideal for readers aged 16 and above

By R.F. Kuang, bestselling author of Yellowface and The Poppy War trilogy. Published by HarperCollins UK.