Theory & Practice A Novel
Theory & Practice by Michelle de Kretser is a novel published by Catapult on February 18, 2025, featuring 192 pages in English. This work follows a young woman from Sri Lanka as she navigates her graduate studies in Melbourne during 1986, exploring the intersections of love, art, and personal beliefs. As she engages with the literary world, particularly the works of Virginia Woolf, she encounters a vibrant community of artists and activists, leading her to confront her own desires and the complexities of her feminist ideals.
Readers will find a thoughtful exploration of friendship and coming-of-age themes as the narrator grapples with her relationship with Kit, who challenges her understanding of love and jealousy. The narrative delves into the moral dilemmas that arise when cherished figures reveal their imperfections, prompting reflections on the nature of truth and connection. Through its intricate storytelling, Theory & Practice invites readers to consider the tensions between personal values and lived experiences.
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WINNER OF THE STELLA PRIZE
A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice
“Theory & Practice is a thrillingly original hybrid work that seeks truthful answers to the most difficult questions of the day—questions about the nature of love, art, and desire, about the thorny cultural legacy of colonialism and the unappeasable human yearning for connection.” —Sigrid Nunez, author of The Vulnerables
A new novel of startling intelligence from prizewinning Australian author Michelle de Kretser, following a writer looking back on her young adulthood and grappling with what happens when life smashes through the boundaries of art
It’s 1986, and “beautiful, radical ideas” are in the air. The narrator of Theory & Practice, a young woman originally from Sri Lanka, arrives in Melbourne for graduate school to research the novels of Virginia Woolf. In the bohemian neighborhood of St. Kilda she meets artists, activists, students—and Kit. He claims to be in a “deconstructed relationship.” They become lovers, and the narrator’s feminism comes up against her jealousy. Meanwhile, an entry in Woolf’s diary upends what the narrator knows about her literary idol, and throws her own work into disarray.
What happens when our desires run contrary to our beliefs? What should we do when the failings of revered figures come to light? Who is shamed when the truth is told? Michelle de Kretser’s new novel offers a spellbinding meditation on the moral complexities that arise in the gap between our values and our lives.
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