The Mermaid of Black Conch

Escape to the ocean with the entrancing, unforgettable winner of the Costa Book of the Year - as read on BBC Radio 4.
'A daring, mesmerising novel... A modern myth' Maggie O'Farrell, author of HAMNET
'Not your standard mermaid' Margaret Atwood, author of THE HANDMAID'S TALE
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...
'Bighearted... A world that it is a pleasure to live inside' New York Times
'Sensuous, beguiling, wondrous... A striking achievement' Sunday Times
'A fiercely modern mermaid story' The Times
'A unique talent' Bernardine Evaristo, author of GIRL, WOMAN, OTHER
'Gorgeous... I was enthralled, enchanted and moved' 5-star reader review
'A tale of love, the sea and a mermaid... Perfection' 5-star reader review

Monique Roffey was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, and lives in London. She is the author of seven previous novels and a memoir. The Mermaid of Black Conch won the Costa Book of the Year and the Costa Novel Award and was shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize and the Goldsmiths Prize. Her other highly acclaimed books include Archipelago, which won the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature, The White Woman on the Green Bicycle and House of Ashes. In addition to her work as an environmental activist, she is a professor of contemporary fiction at Manchester Metropolitan University.