This Cleaving and This Burning

Guernica Editions (Guernica Prize)

9781771835664

350 pages | October 1, 2020

This Cleaving and This Burning by J.A. Wainwright is a novel I will never forget....I felt every emotion our two main characters felt; I grew up with them as they discovered the world around them and themselves, trying to understand their own feelings. Their constant underlying search for the next thing to write, their stumbling across moments too right not to write about, their confusing emotions as they discovered themselves and rewrote who they were.

The Miramichi Reader

I was enthralled by this story from the very first page. The distinct voices of the characters, compelling subject matter, and lyrical prose weave together to form a touching and unforgettable novel about identity, friendship, the secret desires of the heart, and love.Guernica Prize Jury

This Cleaving and This Burning is a bold and brilliant novel that will transport readers to another era. Andrew Wainwright tells the story of an intense friendship and forbidden desire. With great sensitivity, authentic characters and powerful scenes, this engaging tale burns into the mind and heart long after the journey has ended in its pages.

Sonia Saikaley, author of The Lebanese Dishwasher

I felt every emotion our two main characters felt; I grew up with them as they discovered the world around them and themselves, trying to understand their own feelings. Their constant underlying search for the next thing to write, their stumbling across moments too right not to write about, their confusing emotions as they discovered themselves and rewrote who they were.

The Miramichi Reader

• Scotiabank Giller Prize's Craving CanLit 2021
• Audio Excerpt
• J.A. Wainwright's This Cleaving and This Burning Dalhousie Book Launch
• Nina Newington, David Kingston Yeh, and J Andrew Wainwright discuss writing queer identities and communities
• Crystal Fletcher (All About Books) interviews JA Wainwright

Guernica Prize for Literary Fiction