Frank Egerton 

The Lock

A twist on the eternal story of a middle aged man in an obsessive sexual liaison with a young girl. Gerald is an Oxford don in love with Alexandra, a young student. Despite the disapproval of friends and colleagues, and the pain he is causing to his wife and children, he can neither stop nor continue the relationship without seeming to destroy his own emotions. But his wife has some ideas about sexual freedom herself.... The Lock is set in and around Oxford, the city and the University, and the colouful surroundings are powerfully evoked in this novel from a new young Oxford author. It moves from the bedrooms and High Tables of Oxford colleges to the surrounding countryside and the itinerant travellers who pass through this rich social scene. Frank Egerton is a new author living in Oxford's historic district of Oseney Island, where the novel is partly based. The Lock is for those who enjoy a superbly evoked picture of real people in a real setting. 

 'Illuminating and absorbing' John Bayley, author of Iris: A Memoir.

 '...an excellent debut' The Times. 

 Exclusive interview with Frank Egerton