Spens, Christiana - The Colony

The Colony is an entrancing exploration of the ways in which, in trying to transcend our lives and ourselves, we so often fall into the control of others — whether in romantic, artistic or spiritual endeavours. It satirises the ways we delude ourselves in order to satisfy hidden desires, blindly following one another into chaos. Part of the wider folk resurgence in literature, it considers why we desire escape from modern life, and how we can truly be free. The Colony also aligns with literary fiction that interrogates romantic relationships, power dynamics and compulsive behaviours in a novel way. The Colony offers a chilling, thought-provoking reflection on how easily utopias can become dystopias. Lena, a photographer, takes up an offer to escape to a friend’s retreat on a remote Scottish island, where she meets like-minded new friends. But as birds start washing up on the beaches, and the spiritual teachings of the group become ever more consuming, Lena starts to doubt her desire to surrender her old self entirely. Reminiscent of authors such as Shirley Jackson, Emma Cline andSophie MacIntosh,as well as films like Midsommer and The Wickerman, this is a satirical exploration of the wellness industry, the human desire for escapism, and the ways in which we are all contagious, in the end.