The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir who got Trapped in an Ikea Wardrobe

One day a fakir leaves his small village in India and lands in Paris. A professional con artist, the fakir is on a pilgrimage to IKEA, where he intends to obtain an object he covets above all others: a brand new bed of nails. Without adequate Euros in the pockets of his silk trousers, the fakir is all the same confident that his counterfeit 100-Euro note (printed on one side only) and his usual bag of tricks will suffice. But when a swindled cab driver seeks his murderous revenge, the fakir accidentally embarks on a European tour, fatefully beginning in the wardrobe of the iconic Swedish retailer.

As his journey progresses in the most unpredictable of ways, the fakir finds unlikely friends in even unlikelier places. To his surprise - and to a Bollywood beat - the stirrings of love well up in the heart of our unlikely hero, even as his adventures lead to profound and moving questions of the perils of emigration and the universal desire to seek a better life in an often dangerous world.

ROMAIN PUÉRTOLAS was born 39 years ago in Montpellier. He wrote The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir who got Trapped in an Ikea Wardrobe on his mobile phone whilst working as a French border guard. Romain has previously worked as a cleaner at the Brighton Palace Pier, where he learnt how to say ‘Don’t lean on the slot machine’ without a French accent. This is his first novel.

Full of quirky charm... Delightful
- The Times

A madcap romantic adventure... Blessed with an energetic bonhomie that's thoroughly endearing
- Mail on Sunday

This summer's must-read novel...quirky, hilarious, elegantly-written
- The Telegraph

A laugh-out-loud funny debut novel that is as bonkers as the title suggests
- Candis Magazine

A genuinely funny novel
- Vogue

Its blend of compassion and wit deserves to win readers
- Independent

Wonderfully irreverent
- Cruise International

Beneath the farce is a profound examination of immigration, and the lengths people go to for a better life
- Manchester Evening News

Fast-paced comedy with a serious side… Highly entertaining
- Irish Times

That rare beast: a novel full of heart of conscience that never takes itself too seriously
- Observer