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The Instant

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The Instant

By: Amy Liptrot
Narrated by: Amy Liptrot
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About this listen

Shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing

Wishing to leave behind the quiet isolation of her Orkney island life, Amy Liptrot books a one-way flight to Berlin.

Searching for new experiences, inspiration and love, she rents a loftbed in a shared flat and looks for work. She explores the streets, nightclubs and parks and seeks out the city’s wildlife—goshawks, raccoons and hooded crows. She looks for love through the screen of her laptop. Over the course of a year, Amy makes space, hoping for the unexpected. And it comes with an erotic jolt, in the form of a love affair that obsesses her.

The Instant is an unapologetic look at the addictive power of love and lust. It is also an exploration of the cycles of the moon, the flight paths of migratory birds, the mesmerising power of Neolithic stonework and the trails followed by a generation who exist online.

This audiobook contains an exclusive essay by Amy Liptrot.

©2022 Amy Liptrot (P)2022 Canongate Books, Ltd. Animals Biological Sciences Love, Dating & Attraction Outdoors & Nature Relationships Science

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Critic reviews

"I loved this book." (Raynor Winn, author of The Salt Path)

"Utterly absorbing." (Lucy Jones, author of Losing Eden)
All stars
Most relevant  
Beautiful vocabulary & true honesty. Really touching & insightful. It was both raw and emotional. Really different to anything I’ve read or listened to before.

Insightful

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Otherworldly yet totally of this world. Amy really nails what it is to be human. A magical and infinitely relatable book.

A beautifully read, poetic journey

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I was thrilled to hear that Amy offers us another insight into her life and loves. I felt my heart breaking for her at times. A must read. Thank you Amy ❤️ I have new hope in my heart that true love exists

A must for addicts of love

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Loved Amy’s second book with snapshots of Orkney, London and Berlin and her journey into self discovery, love, loss and redefining herself. Powerful, entertaining, educational and reminiscent of my upbringing in Orkney.

Honest beauty of heart break and adventure

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I loved The Outrun, one of my favourite books ever and thought that the instant could not possibly match it. So, in some way I approached this book nervous that I might be disappointed....which I did not.want to be as I kind of felt in love with Amy from her debut, stark, brave and beautiful tale.
The Instant is a lazily sensual delve into one chapter of Amy's life; a life that is already amazing but also familiar to each and everyone of us. Amy's courage to look at life in the face and allow herself to notice the enormity and minutiae of this experience is commendable. The fact that she shares her journey with us feels like a privilege, like cutting through the small talk and getting to the heart of a conversation....the conversation you really want to have.
This is not a long book, however it will be one I read again and joins The Outrun as one of those books that truly move me.

stunning....again

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This book did keep me interested I love the information on birds and nature the most

Very Interesting

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Listened to it all in an afternoon, the world through Amy Liptrot's eyes is riveting to me, I particularly loved her oceany description of a techno club in Berlin. Her emotional experiences are empathic and relatable and so very human. I loved the outrun, I loved this one too.

Underwater Techno

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I so enjoyed this - memoir, (urban) nature writing, creative practice. A pleasure to listen to and beautifully read by the author.

Superb writing - honest, moving and funny.

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The subject of The Instant is wide ranging, from belonging and the way people live online, to nature writing and recovery from addiction, to loneliness and longing, love and despair. There is a rare honesty here as Amy describes her heartache. And her thoughts are poetic and lyrical yet her writing style has a wonderful simplicity that is both original and direct.

The Instant is a quiet, unambitious book that punched far above my expectations.

Top marks, and then some more, from me.

Honest simple and direct. Poetry in prose form.

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enjoyed the honesty, it being read by The author, the reminders of the important things in life

beautifully told story. great follow up to the Outrun

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