Blank Canvas

A young college student spins a web of deceit by falsifying her father's death in a compelling twist on the classic campus narrative. Themes of deception, denial, grief, and self-discovery are explored by a promising new literary talent. Charlotte, entering her final year at a cozy liberal arts school in upstate New York, tells her peers her father passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack during the summer. Though she was never particularly close to her classmates, the story conjures a wave of sympathy and kindness from them. Herein, she discovers the benefits of her falsehood: attention, compassion, and the blossoming of a romantic relationship with Katarina, a fellow student. All is smooth as long as Charlotte can control the delicate tapestry of lies and her reality.However, the façade trembles when contrasted with the truth across the Atlantic, in the modest Staffordshire home of her upbringing, where her father, very much alive, spends his days watching TV and sipping beer. While Charlotte has consistently distanced herself from uncomfortable realities, her father's plans for a surprise visit threaten to unravel her carefully constructed narrative, confronting her with something she finds nearly impossible to evade.