Monday, July 13, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Skylight Books, Los Angeles
 **A razor-sharp novel about the rise and fall of an unemployed actor who lands the greatest role of his life when he’s hired as a personal assistant to an absurd Hollywood family.** Raj Ladlani is a morose and unemployable actor. He has reasons to believe he is spectacularly talented, a legend in every way but for the success. He leads an anonymous life in LA, working part time at a frozen yogurt store, fantasizing about stardom and clinging to the encouragement of his aging and kindly acting coach. At his life's nadir, Raj reads a job posting detailing a relentless, laughable parade of menial responsibilities for an organization blandly described as “Hollywood Family.” _The Simp_ tells the story of Raj’s momentous employment with the H Family and the destruction that follows. Jim H is a massive and macho director in a creative rut. Anna H might uncharitably be described as his much younger trophy wife, quietly and neurotically seeking out her own independent sense of purpose as a screenwriter. Raj’s work as their executive assistant becomes his new sense of soaring purpose. But he procured the job through a sea of lies. The job itself is an absurdist walk through a landmine of affluent domestic chaos, identity politics, and petty Angeleno grievances. And things only get weirder when it turns out Anna H has been working on a secret project of her own—one that will change everything for Raj. **Roshan Sethi** is a writer, director, and practicing oncologist. He is the cocreator of _The Resident_, which ran for six seasons on Fox. His directorial debut, _7 Days,_ won the Independent Spirit Award for best first feature. He subsequently directed _World’s Best_ for Disney+ and cowrote the abortion drama _Call Jane_, which premiered at Sundance in 2022. His third film as a director, _A Nice Indian Boy_, recently premiered at SXSW to rave reviews. His next film, _The Surgeon_, starring Michelle Yeoh and Martin Freeman, is forthcoming. _The Simp_ is his debut novel. **Lilly Singh** is an award-winning entertainer, actress, producer, _New York Times_ best-selling author, gender equality advocate, and President of Unicorn Island. A leading force in pop culture with a digital audience of over 40 million, she has pivoted her successful online career to the big and small screens.