The #2 Bestseller of the Sunday Times and #1 Bestseller of the NYT

"A must-read for Philip Pullman fans" - The Times

"A brilliant fantasy about empires" - Guardian

"Fans of The Secret History, this book is a must-buy" - Glamour

"Ambitious, comprehensive, and epic" - Evening Standard

Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.

Oxford, 1836.

The city of dreaming towers.

It is the center of all knowledge and progress in the world.

And at its center stands Babel, the Royal Institute of Translation. The tower from which the entire power of the empire flows.

As an orphan in Canton and brought to England by a mysterious guardian, Babel seemed like paradise to Robin Swift.

Until it became a prison...

But can a student stand against an empire?

A stirring new novel by award-winning author R.F. Kuang about the power of language, the violence of colonialism, and the sacrifices of resistance.

A masterpiece that resonates with power and knowledge. Babel is a powerful depiction of the cruelty of the empire, a distillation of dark academia, and a captivating blend of fantasy and historical fiction - a monumental success.

Samantha Shannon, author of The Priory of the Orange Tree.