Fourteen years ago Michael dazzled the world with Ephesus, a brilliant debut novel that him the respect of his peers, plenty of easy sex and the coveted Booker Prize. Since then, there's been nothing but false starts and dead ends. He can't even finish a short story. With debt collectors at the door, the cellar empty and the mortgage on the line, it's crunch time. His wife, Tanya,issues an ultimatum: get a job or get a divorce. Forced into assessing his literary agent's slush pile to help make ends meet, Michael discovers a dark gem. He rewrites it to make it his own. His publisher loves it and fame beckons and his literary standing soars...until the real author appears. Slush Pile is a satire of literary ambition.