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Top 5 seafaring books, chosen by award-winning writer Carolyn Kirby

The perils of life in a sea vessel are explored in this selection of books

Carolyn Kirby’s 2019 debut novel The Conviction of Cora Burns was nominated for awards by the Historical Writers Association and the Crimefest/Specsavers Fiction Prize. Her latest, Ravenglass, is an 18th century adventure over land and sea. Here are her top 5 seafaring adventure books.

The Cruel Sea by Nicholas Monsarrat

A classic war story based on the author’s experiences as an officer on small warships during the Second World War. The crew of the fictional HMS Compass Rose play a terrifying game of cat and mouse with U boats in the North Atlantic. 

English Passengers by Matthew Kneale

A ship sails from England carrying its Victorian passengers towards new lives in colonial Tasmania. Their tribulations are threaded through recollections from the island’s natives,  who are struggling to preserve a disappearing way of life. 

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Haven by Emma Donoghue

In seventh-century Ireland, three monks drift out to sea on a small boat and find themselves marooned on a bird-covered, rocky outcrop in the Atlantic. What follows is bizarre, shocking and completely compelling. 

Dangerous Crossing by Rachel Rhys

A mystery set on a pre-war passenger liner to Australia. Londoner Lily boards the ship in July 1939 and six weeks later when the ship docks in Sydney the world is at war and a young woman disembarks onto the quayside in handcuffs. 

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Twist by Colum McCann

Our modern lives are surprisingly dependent on the skill and persistence of multi-disciplinary teams on ocean-going cable repair ships. Passions and paranoia simmer among the crew of one such fictional ship in this travel-based novel. 

Ravenglassby Carolyn Kirby is out now (Northodox Press, £12.99).These titles are available to buy from the Big Issue shop on bookshop.org, which helps to support Big Issue and independent bookshops.

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