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The Mermaid of Black Conch

  • Imprint: Vintage

  • ISBN: 9781529115499

  • Length: 272  Pages

  • Dimensions: 198mm x 17mm x 129mm

  • Weight: 191g

  • RRP: £8.99

The Mermaid of Black Conch

  • Winner of the Costa Book of the Year 2020

Escape to the ocean this summer with the entrancing, unforgettable winner of the Costa Book of the Year 2020.

'A unique talent' Bernardine Evaristo

Near the island of Black Conch, a fisherman sings to himself while waiting for a catch. But David attracts a sea-dweller that he never expected - Aycayia, an innocent young woman cursed by jealous wives to live as a mermaid.

When American tourists capture Aycayia, David rescues her and vows to win her trust. Slowly, painfully, she transforms into a woman again. Yet as their love grows, they discover that the world around them is changing - and they cannot escape the curse for ever . . .

'A bittersweet love story . . . A joy to read' BBC News

'A fiercely modern mermaid story' The Times

'Wondrous . . . A striking achievement' Sunday Times

'Not your standard mermaid' Margaret Atwood

  • Imprint: Vintage

  • ISBN: 9781529115499

  • Length: 272  Pages

  • Dimensions: 198mm x 17mm x 129mm

  • Weight: 191g

  • RRP: £8.99

Reviews

  • Sensuous, beguiling . . . Roffey's tale convincingly transplants a mythical creature into a modern setting . . . Wondrous

    Sunday Times

  • Wonderfully written, with both soul and intense drama - it glistens almost, like the mermaid!

    Diana Evans, author of Ordinary People

  • Magical touches blend with precise realism in this bittersweet tale of a mermaid trying to put the sea behind her

    Observer

  • Arresting . . . Truly original . . . deftly weaving myth, feminism, humour

    Daily Mail

  • Extraordinary, beautifully written . . . We found it completely compelling . . . It feels like a classic in the making

    Costa Judges, 2020

  • Hugely entertaining . . . A joy to read, brimming with memorable characters

    BBC News

  • The tantalising story of a mermaid loved and feared in equal measure . . . A book for our time

    Ingrid Persaud, author of Love After Love

  • A dark love story between a fisherman and a mermaid torn from the sea . . . Moving

    Independent

About the Author

Monique Roffey

Monique Roffey was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad. She is the author of six novels and a memoir. The Mermaid of Black Conch won the Costa Book of the Year and the Costa Novel Award 2020. It was shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize 2021, the Goldsmiths Prize 2020 and the Republic of Consciousness Prize 2021, and longlisted for the Orwell Prize, the Ondaatje Prize and the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature 2021. Her highly acclaimed previous books are sun dog, The White Woman on the Green Bicycle (shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction 2010), Archipelago (winner of the OCM Bocas Award for Caribbean Literature 2013), House of Ashes (shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award 2014), The Tryst and With the Kisses of His Mouth. Monique Roffey is a Senior Lecturer at the Manchester Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University and a tutor for the National Writers Centre.

Monique Roffey

Read more

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Recommendations

7 books by Caribbean authors

To celebrate the Vintage paperback edition of The Mermaid of Black Conch, we’ve gathered a list of just some of our favourite books by Caribbean authors.

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