Maggie Shipstead writes literary fiction about ambition, performance, travel and people whose carefully imagined lives diverge from what actually happens. Seating Arrangements takes place around a New England wedding and follows Winn Van Meter as family tensions, social insecurity and attraction destabilise the weekend. Astonish Me moves into ballet, tracing a dancer’s career, marriage and the consequences of an earlier relationship with a Soviet star. Great Circle is much larger in scale, alternating between Marian Graves, an aviator attempting to fly around the world, and a present-day actor preparing to play her in a film. Shipstead’s novels are observant and character-led, with institutions such as elite families, ballet companies and Hollywood shaping private choices. Shipstead’s catalogue links literary fiction with aviation, dance and other performance-centred settings. Great Circle is the broadest and most historical work, while Seating Arrangements is more compressed, satirical and focused on a single social weekend. Read more Less
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