The Emperor's Babe

The smart, sassy coming-of-age story from the Booker prize-winning author of Girl, Woman, Other - now a Penguin Essential

Meet Zuleika: sassy girl about town, former child bride, A-list Roman babe, black immigrant in ancient Londinium. She knows this city like the back of her hand - its squalor and bustle, its slum tenements and sumptuous villas. But she doesn't know how it feels to fall in love.

Sold in marriage to a rich, fat Roman, stranded in luxurious neglect with only slaves and sex workers for company, it's not long before Zuleika is up to no good. And one day, when the Roman Emperor himself strolls into town and catches her eye, the trouble really starts...

Irresistibly funny and whip-smart, this is a deeply relatable coming-of-age tale with a surprising historical twist.