Escape Room explores the possibilities of freedom, goodness, meaning, and connection under late capitalism. Can we escape the imperatives of money, gender, and human fallibility to freely construct our own identities—should we even try? At the heart of Escape Room is the question of how to find light within the pain of anxiety and loss, the consolatory powers of friendship and creativity and the reimagining of life’s darkness as ‘an emerald, exciting kind of dark, a gaseous dark, dark / with a lot of light inside it.’ This complexity is balanced with a resolute joy, humour, and irony. Escape Room is a contemporary Betjemanesque exploration of suburban, middle-class life, with all its apathy and subconscious fear. The subjects are wryly observed with a warmth, honesty, and precision that make this an irresistible and perspicacious first collection. If you’ve ever grappled with ‘a desire you could not understand / like wanting to touch dark, wet paint,’ had an identity crisis at a corporate away day, or just not known what to do with your Sunday morning, the Escape Room is open for you.