麻豆约拍

Carys Davies is an award-winning novelist and short-story writer. On our latest episode of the podcast, she joins Zoe to chat about her new short novel, Clear,

The idea came when she discovered a long lost language, in a dictionary in the Edinburgh Library.

They discuss the beauty, and ruggedness, of Shetland, languages we have lost, short stories versus long...and...Carys gives a little bit of writing advice to aspiring authors.

Here's a little bit more about the book:

1843. On a remote Scottish island, Ivar, the sole occupant, leads a life of quiet isolation until the day he finds a man unconscious on the beach below the cliffs. The newcomer is John Ferguson, an impoverished church minister sent to evict Ivar and turn the island into grazing land for sheep. Unaware of the stranger鈥檚 intentions, Ivar takes him into his home, and in spite of the two men having no common language, a fragile bond begins to form between them. Meanwhile on the mainland, John鈥檚 wife Mary anxiously awaits news of his mission.

Against the rugged backdrop of this faraway spot beyond Shetland, Carys Davies鈥檚 intimate drama unfolds with tension and tenderness: a touching and crystalline study of ordinary people buffeted by history and a powerful exploration of the distances and connections between us. Perfectly structured and surprising at every turn, Clear is a marvel of storytelling, an exquisite short novel by a master of the form.