Recommended: The Draw of the Sea

Our selection for July is…

The Draw of the Sea by Wyl Menmuir

About the Novel

Wyl Menmuir’s The Draw of the Sea is a book about fishermen, surfers, swimmers, beachcombers, conservationists, sailors and boatbuilders who make their living on the Cornish Coast.

In twelve interlinked chapters, Menmuir explores the lives of local fishermen steeped in the rich traditions of a fishing community, the beachcombers who wander the shores in search of the varied objects which wash ashore and the stories they tell, and all number of others who have made their lives on the beautiful Cornwall coast. He also writes movingly about his own connection to the sea, telling heartfelt personal anecdotes about what it has come to mean in his and his family’s lives.

This book is a meaningful and moving work into how we interact with the environment around us, and how it comes to shape the course of our lives. As unmissable as it is compelling, as profound as it is personal, this must-read book will delight anyone familiar with the intimate and powerful pull that the sea holds over us.

The Draw of the Sea explores communities whose lives revolve around the coasts of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. In the specifics of these livelihoods and their rich histories and traditions, Wyl Menmuir captures the universal human connection to the sea. Into this seductive tapestry, Wyl weaves the story of how the sea has beckoned, consoled and restored him.

“A beautiful portrait of lives shaped by the swell of ocean and tide – a powerful salt-thread of connection.” Raynor Winn, author of The Salt Path

“A work of enormous grace and humanity that pulls us to the deep and gently returns us home.” Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters

About the Author

Wyl Menmuir is an award-winning author based in Cornwall. His 2016 debut novel, The Many was longlisted for the Man-Booker Award and was an Observer Best Fiction of the year pick. His second novel Fox Fires was published in 2021 and his short fiction has been published by Nightjar Press, Kneehigh Theatre and National Trust Books and appeared in Best British Short Stories. Wyl’s first full-length non-fiction book, The Draw of the Sea, won the Roger Deakin Award from the Society of Authors and is published in 2022. A former journalist, Wyl has written for Radio 4’s Open Book, The Guardian and The Observer, and the journal Elementum. He is co-creator of the Cornish writing centre, The Writers’ Block and lectures in creative writing at Falmouth University.

Available online from Waterstones
Publisher: Aurum Press
ISBN: 9780711273962
Number of pages: 304
Dimensions: 216 x 135 mm

Previous book recommendations:
The Lip by Charlie Carroll
Mothers Boy by Patrick Gale

Categorised in: Bookclub

This post was written by samstone