A MOVING STORY OF LIBERATION THAT SHATTERS TIRED PREJUDICES ABOUT WOMANHOOD, SEX AND SOCIETY
Josephine teaches in a high school in a suburb of Paris. Her life is a balancing act between Xanax and Tupperware lunches in the staff room until she walks into a Champs-Elysée’s strip club.
There she learns a secret nocturnal code of conduct; she discovers camaraderie and the joys of female company, and she thrills at the sensation of men’s desire directed toward her. Josephine, a teacher by day, begins to lead a secret existence by night that ultimately allows her to regain control of her life. This delicate balance is shattered one evening by an unexpected visitor to the club where she dances.
A heartrending reflection on a woman’s image of herself, and the way others see her, Ketty Rouf’s extraordinary debut novel No Touching won the prestigious French literary prize Prix du Premier Roman 2020 (First Novel award)
Review
“A debut novel that skilfully dissects the relationship between the body and freedom.” - Franceinfo
“Stunning and surprising, No Touching invites readers to question their own choices and prejudices.” - ActuaLitté
"Brimming with eroticism, Rouf's novel is a pitch-perfect rejection of the bland existence of educators in a broken system, and liberated her heroine to explore a more brilliant, colourful life, although not without its consequences" - Booklist
“Exhilarating and unsettling.” - Le Figaro
“Both playful and profound.” - Le Journal du Dimanche
“Rouf is good on the power dynamics of lap-dancing clubs, positing that the No Touching rule is the crux of their appeal, in that it keeps sex idealised and grants men the illusion of not cheating.” - The Big Issue
“A moving story of liberation.” - Big Issue North
“A bold and in-your-face look at sex work.” - Bookish Chat
“No Touching is a sensual, profound and, at times, philosophical read, due to the nature of the subject, but it is also uplifting and hopeful. Translated work has, yet again, taken me on a wonderful journey into the unknown.” - Swirl and Thread / also on Writing.ie
“A fabulous and provocative analysis of desire and its all-consuming power, but also of a woman finding her own sense of self amidst those stereotypical expectations that society projects on women.” - Suzie_reads_a_lot
“This is a thought-provoking short novel indeed, but one I enjoyed. It may start off with erotica and sexiness, but in reality it’s more philosophical than that and about finding a way, as Shakespeare’s Polonious said, ‘To thine own self be true,’ as Joséphine finally does.” - AnnaBookBel & Shiny New Books
“A strong, feminist novel which will force the reader to question their own preconceived ideas of women and their career choices.” - West Words Reviews
“This is a novel that gets to the heart of desire and power. It is dappled by light and shade, forcing the reader to reevaluate their expectations and stereotypes, whilst at the same time encouraging to look beyond the norm… Be prepared to be dazzled.” - BookBound
About the Author
Ketty Rouf was born in Trieste, Italy, in 1970. After reading for a masters’ degree in philosophy, she settled in Paris to pursue her studies, advised by eminent French philosopher Paul Ricœur, and take classical dance lessons. After a stint at the department of education, she now works as Italian language tutor, translator and interpreter. No Touching is her first novel.
Tina Kover is a literary translator whose works include The Black City by Georges Sand, Adelaïde Bon’s The Little Girl on the Ice Floe. For Europa she translated Disoriental by Négar Djavadi, and Older Brother by Mahir Guven.
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