J. David Simons
J. David Simons is a Scottish author, media journalist and literary editor. His first novel, The Credit Draper, was shortlisted for the McKitterick Prize, and his subsequent novels include The Liberation of Celia Kahn (2011), The Land Agent (2014), A Woman of Integrity (2017), The Responsibility of Love (2021), as well as An Exquisite Sense of What is BeautifulΒ (new edition published in 2023).Β He has been awarded several bursaries from Creative Scotland and the Society of Authors and in 2012 was the recipient of a Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship.
Simons is also a former lawyer, charity administrator, cotton farmer and university lecturer. His nomadic lifestyle has allowed him to spend considerable time in Israel, Australia, Japan and the United States, and he currently lives in Javea, Spain.
The Liberation of Celia Kahn
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Buy The Liberation of Celia Kahn
Glasgow 1915. Set against the background of rent strikes, anti-war sentiment and a revolution brewing in Russia, a young Jewish woman from the Gorbals discovers a taste for protest, female solidarity, and the empowerment of women made possible by birth control. Her political sensibilities are fired up even further by a personal trauma, while a new love affair presents difficult choices.
REVIEWS OF The Liberation of Celia Kahn
'ΒEntertaining and compelling. Explores so many stimulating political themes.'Β -Β Alan Lloyd, Morning Star
'ΒInformative, entertaining and uplifting. Highly recommendedΒ.' - Janet Williamson, Historical Novel Society Review Read more
'ΒA rare evocation of the immigrant novel, with a welcome Scottish dimension.Β' -Β Clive Sinclair, The Jewish Chronicle. Read more
'ΒCelia'Βs pain and challenges are sensitively rendered, her passion and stoicism enchanting. A quietly brilliant book.'Β - Rebecca Isherwood, The Skinny
'Β[It is] a joy to find a novel which is such an entertaining and compelling read [and] faithful to the history of the times.'Β - Alan Lloyd, Morning Star
'This is a thoughtful, neat and plucky book, much like its heroine. J. David Simons is brilliant at capturing the little oddities and foibles of his characters. The book is a riotous celebration of female empowerment.' - Lisa Glass, Vulpes Libris Read more
"Emotive, this is a thought-provoking piece of fictionalised social history." - Alastair Mabbott, The Herald
Β'A compelling tale with characters who imprint themselves on the streets of GlasgowΒ.' - Scarlett McGwire, The Tribune
