Ghostwritten

work by Mitchell

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July 20, 2026

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Ghostwritten is the debut novel by English author David Mitchell, published in 1999. The book is characterized by its interconnected narratives that span various global locations. While some critics noted similarities to the works of Haruki Murakami, Ghostwritten was praised for its sophisticated plotting and realistic characterizations, earning Mitchell the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize for the best work of fiction by a British author under 35.1

To "ghostwrite" means to write for and in the name of another person, with that person being credited as the author.2

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David Mitchell
Mitchell’s first published work was Ghostwritten (1999), a collection of interconnected narratives that take place in a variety of locations throughout the world. While criticized by some as derivative of the novels of Murakami Haruki, the book is nevertheless noteworthy for its plotting and realistic characterizations, which are unusually sophisticated…
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Mitchell’s first published work was Ghostwritten (1999), a collection of interconnected narratives that take place in a variety of locations throughout the world. While criticized by some as derivative of the novels of Murakami Haruki, the book is nevertheless noteworthy for its plotting and realistic characterizations, which are unusually sophisticated…
Read More