Buy Wet Paint here

‘Distinctive’ The Observer | ‘Skilful, absorbing’ Spectator | ‘Blistering’ Stylist | ‘Clever, gripping’ Times Literary Supplement | ‘Bold’ Harper’s Bazaar

Since the death of her best friend Grace, twenty-six-year-old Eve has learned to keep everything and everyone at arm’s length. Safe in her detachment, she scrapes along waiting tables and cleaning her shared flat in exchange for cheap rent, finding solace in her small routines.

But when a chance encounter at work brings her past thundering into her present, Eve becomes consumed by painful memories of Grace. And soon her precariously maintained life begins to unravel: she loses her job, gets thrown out of her flat, and risks pushing away the one decent man who cares about her.

Taking up life-modelling to pay the bills, Eve lays bare her body but keeps hidden the mounting chaos inside her head. When her self-destructive urges spiral out of control, she’s forced to confront the traumatic event that changed the course of her life, and to finally face her grief and guilt.

praise for wet paint

‘A skilful, absorbing novel that is so much about seeing and being seen’
The Spectator

‘What marks Ashby out as a distinctive voice is the warmth and compassion with which she depicts her characters and their milieu’
The Observer

‘Wet Paint is a clever, gripping novel in which art and life reflect on and imitate one another’
Times Literary Supplement

‘A blistering story of one girl’s attempts to outmanoeuvre past trauma, loss and rejection only to find her life descending into chaos’
Stylist

‘With a careful, subtle, and compassionate description of the ways in which a life may be shaped by loss, Ashby creates a realistic and elegant portrait of a young woman beginning to recover herself from bereavement’
The Irish Times

‘Love, death and the power of art to both heal and harm are among the themes that Chloë Ashby addresses in her bold debut novel’
Harper’s Bazaar

‘Ashby paints a beautifully vivid portrait of a resilient young woman coming to terms with how to survive in a shifting, hostile world’
The Arts Desk

‘Ashby’s novel wryly rounds the circle between the viewed and the voyeur’
Royal Academy of Arts Magazine

‘A beautiful story made all the richer by Ashby’s deep understanding of the profound presence of art in everyday life’
The Arts Society

‘This isn’t a book you read, but a book you step into. Chloë Ashby has created a mesmerising and energetic world of grief, art and self-discovery’
Emma Gannon, author of Olive

‘In this poised, heartfelt debut, Ashby paints a raw, richly detailed portrait of untethered youth, friendship and suppressed grief’
Olivia Sudjic, author of Asylum Road

‘A courageous and unwinding exploration of female pain. Dark, funny and hopeful, it’s a remarkable story’
Abigail Bergstrom, author of What a Shame

‘Delicate, powerful and honest all at once. This is an unforgettable novel, and I’ll read anything Chloë Ashby writes’
Lucia Osborne-Crowley, author of My Body Keeps Your Secrets

‘Wet Paint is a searing exploration of grief, friendship and what it is to grow up. It made me laugh but also cry. I will think about this book for a long time’
Annie Lord, author of Notes on Heartbreak

‘An utterly absorbing story of art, friendship, love, and loss. Perfect for fans of Anna Hope’s Expectation but very much its own tender, dark, funny, vivid thing’
Lydia Ruffles, author of The Taste of Blue Light

‘Poignant, at times heart-wrenching, but liberally sprinkled with dry wit. This is a novel about grief, trauma and life-saving relationships’
Jendella Benson, author of Hope & Glory

‘A compelling exploration of enduring grief, and a striking portrait of the intensity and fragility of the friendships that form us. Darkly funny and relatable – a great read about love, art, and navigating the trials of learning how to be an adult’
Francesca Reece, author of Voyeur

EVENTS

Christiana Spens and Chloë Ashby at Tenderbooks on 4th April 2023 – tickets here

Lizzy Stewart and Chloë Ashby at Faversham Literary Festival on 25th February 2023 – tickets here

Novel ideas: Representing women and art in fiction at the National Gallery on 18th November 2022 – tickets here

From Paint to Page: Art in Fiction at Cheltenham Literature Festival on 8th October 2022 – tickets here

Art and Fiction with Damian Dibben and Sophie Haydock at Hatchard’s on 8th September 2022 – tickets here

Daunt Spotlight: Debut Authors at Daunt Marylebone at 7pm on 13th July 2022 – tickets here

Tiffany Philippou in conversation with Chloë Ashby at Burley Fisher Books at 6.30pm on 23rd June 2022 – tickets here