The Bed Trick

A brilliant analysis of the trial of Gayle Newland and the literary and social antecedents of ‘sex by deception’…Scott is a supremely good guide to this complex terrain, thoughtful, nuanced and agile – Olivia Laing * Guardian *When Scott is telling the two conflicting narratives laid out in the courtroom this is a riveting and revealing book that takes the reader deep into the processes of justice and law, but although Scott strives not to take sides, she has a point of view – Sarah Ditum * The Times *Scott is a clear and meticulous guide…She considers the trial from every angle in the gallery, examining other cases of “gender fraud” and giving a potted history of rape law that, unappealing a subject as it is, I found fascinating * Telegraph *Izabella Scott picks at every thread of a strange and unsettling case. The result is intriguing, complex and nuanced - and invites the reader to question the certainties of the law and the stories people tell of themselves – Sophie Elmhirst, author of MAURICE AND MARALYNA juridical tour de force. Gripping, propulsive and skilfully written, it will deservedly take its place alongside Janet Malcolm and Helen Garner in the pantheon of great court reporting. I could not bear to put it down and was bereft when I had finished it – Orlando Whitfield, author of ALL THAT GLITTERSA fascinating study of recent English trials of rape by deception, which are as much about sexual violation as they are about personal identity and the play of false identities. The irony is that as revelatory as the facts appear to be - charges brought by a woman who believed that her female lover was a man - it is what may be made of the facts that compels the reader. Despite the harsh answer given by the court, it leaves one in the uncertain and shadowy scenery of deception, longing, sex and love – Susanna Moore, author of IN THE CUTThe Bed Trick is a huge achievement by a writer of outstanding conscience and courage. On every page, Scott brings together her legal acumen, literary knowledge and her compassion to explore this complex case and set it in the context of our tangled lives. She refuses to sensationalise but instead brings her unique clarity to our legal system as it meets our human instincts of desire and deception. A rare accomplishment – Preti Taneja, author of AFTERMATHThe Bed Trick is utterly compelling reading and gets to the heart of this fascinating and unusual trial, bringing to light the complexity of legal testimony and the fallibility of law itself. Scott deftly raises timely questions about the meaning of consent, deception, queer identity and the stories that we tell ourselves in the twenty-first century. – Elizabeth Lovatt, author of THANK YOU FOR CALLING THE LESBIAN LINE

Izabella Scott is a writer from London. She has been published by the London Review of Books, the Financial Times, Granta, The New Enquiry and others. She is the co-author, with Skye Arundhati Thomas, of Pleasure Gardens, which was joint winner of the 2025 Bread & Roses Award for Radical Publishing. She was formerly co-editor of The White Review.