SHORTLISTED FOR THE GORDON BURN PRIZEChosen as 'BOOK OF THE YEAR' by Observer, Guardian, Telegraph, Irish Times, New Statesman, Times Literary Supplement, HeraldWhen Olivia Laing moved to New York City in their mid-thirties, they found themselves inhabiting loneliness on a daily basis.Increasingly fascinated by this most shameful of experiences, they began to explore the lonely city by way of art.Moving fluidly between the works and lives of some of the city's most compelling artists, Laing conducts an electric, dazzling investigation into what it means to be alone, illuminating not only the causes of loneliness but also how it might be resisted and redeemed.