Souls in the Twilight

“Scruton’s multifaceted exploration of what it means to be a relational and responsible person is one of the great philosophical and literary projects of our time." — Daniel J. Mahoney, The New Criterion

Follow the stories of lost souls seeking their place of belonging. As the light goes out, people begin to wander in the twilight. Set in recent times before the blinding glare of social media, this thoughtful collection of short stories explores the lives of those stuck in the in-between—those who are not quite where they belong, where they wished to be.

With unfailing lightness of touch, Scruton portrays characters who cannot let go of the past: Yusuf, set on a path of revenge that bears no relation to his teenage life; Bill who wanders the world in his imagination but cannot leave his suburban living room; Sarah, whose insane mission to save the Lebanese Christians brings disaster to the only person she loves; Veronica, whose determination to look the truth in the face wraps her young life in deception—all of them lost to their surroundings, and yet, touchingly seeking a home in them.

Lovers of the short story will appreciate Souls in the Twilight for its deeply personal insight and poetic drama.

Roger Scruton (1944-2020) was a freelance writer and philosopher, who rescued himself from the academy twenty years ago. He held posts in the American Enterprise Institute and in the Ethics and Public Policy Center. He authored 40 books, including five works of fiction, and composed two operas. He is widely known on both sides of the Atlantic as a public intellectual with a broadly conservative vision. Until his death in 2020, Roger lived in rural Wiltshire, England with his family.