Winnie M Li is an American author and activist living in the UK with her partner and young son. A Harvard graduate, Winnie worked as a film producer in London before her career was disrupted by a violent rape. Inspired by that experience, her first novel, Dark Chapter, was nominated for an Edgar Award and translated into ten languages. She is the founder of Clear Lines, the UK’s first-ever festival addressing sexual assault through the arts and discussion.
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Praise for Books
“In this page-turning story of one woman’s struggle, Li thrusts the reader into the film industry’s dark and deep-seated culture of rampant sexism and unbridled male ego … and the terrible cost of staying silent. An utterly compelling read.” —Liv Constantine, internationally bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish
“Winnie’s skill as a writer is to forge out of a familiar film story one that is beautifully unique. It haunted me when I was away from it. An emotionally complex story, it ripples with foreboding and tension. Utterly compulsive reading.” —Sarah Winman, author of Still Life
“Like John Grisham did with the legal profession in The Firm, Winnie M Li’s Complicit provides an insider’s look at the film industry that is full of suspense.” —Peter Swanson, New York Times bestselling author of Nine Lives
“As soon as I read the first few pages of Complicit I knew it was going to be a compulsive read—Winnie M Li’s powerful and beautiful writing immediately immersed me and kept me furiously turning the pages. Through her assured storytelling Winnie draws you into the protagonist’s world on every level—from the superficial to the emotional—to paint a devastating and timely portrait of the abuse of power within a highly charged and often frightening workplace. I loved it.” —Sarah Pearse, New York Times bestselling author of The Sanatorium
“A deep dive into the sleazy underbelly of the film industry prior to #MeToo, Complicit is a brave look at the innocents, the predators, their enablers, and those who turned a blind eye to sexual harassment, abuse, and rape. Winnie M Li weaves a story that is compelling, courageous, and brutal in the best possible way.” —Liz Nugent, #1 internationally bestselling author of Little Cruelties
“A sharply written and absorbing dive into a dark and glamorous world. As timely as it is entertaining, this spectacular novel hooked me from the first page. Winnie M Li is a remarkable talent.” —Cristina Alger, New York Times bestselling author of Girls like Us
After a long-buried, harrowing incident, a woman whose promising film career was derailed has an opportunity for revenge in this visceral and timely thriller about power, privilege, and justice.
A Hollywood has-been, Sarah Lai’s dreams of success behind the camera have been put to the wayside. Now a lecturer at an obscure college, this former producer wants nothing more than to forget those youthful ambitions and push aside any feelings of regret … or guilt.
But when a journalist reaches out to her to discuss her own experience working with the celebrated film producer Hugo North, Sarah can no longer keep silent. This is her last chance to tell her side of the story and maybe even exact belated vengeance.
As Sarah recounts the industry’s dark and sordid secrets, however, she begins to realize that she has a few sins of her own to confess. Now she must confront her choices and ask herself, just who was complicit?
