Pond Life

by Jack R. Williams

Tom is a young man without a plan. After graduating from university in the UK, his search for something meaningful sees him embark on a doctorate in political philosophy at the prestigious Laughton University in the US. When he secures a scholarship from the Willoughby T. Forsyth Foundation, the future’s looking bright across the pond…

After two relatively quiet years at Laughton, the election of Trump galvanises Tom to join the political activism sweeping campus, through which he finally finds a purpose – and a girlfriend! But in a cruel twist of fate, the budding progressive activist’s life is thrown into chaos when the sordid past of Willoughby T. Forsyth is revealed. Dumped, publicly shamed and with his bank account empty, Tom struggles haplessly through the fallout from under his desk. Will he ever make it out?

Witty and thought-provoking in equal measure, Pond Life is a satire of contemporary academia that questions the institutionalisation of privilege and highlights the dangers of unequal power.

288 pages, Paperback

First published September 29, 2022

About the author

Jack R. Williams is a Swiss-based British author who completed his PhD in Philosophy at the University of Zurich during which time he was a visiting researcher at Princeton University.

Jack has written and directed two plays Life for Life (2012) and The Shrink’s Cabinet (2015) the latter of which was selected for the FriScenes International Theatre Festival. His short film Train of Thought was selected for a number of international festivals including being a finalist at the OtherMovie Lugano Film Festival 2021.

Reviews

[James Rhodes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strong first novel, witty and thought provoking. Loses some impetus at start of the third act when the travel breaks up the tension a little, but recovers by the ending.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A witty insight into the world of academia and student politics. Also very readable and at times laugh out loud funny.