Roffey's work is a stunning admixture of imagination and authenticity laying bare an unlikely story of a woman doomed to be a mermaid, and her love for David, a fisherman, and his songs
Monique Roffey’s The Mermaid of Black Conch has won the Costa book of the year.
“It’s a book that will take you to the furthest reaches of your imagination – we found it completely compelling. The Mermaid of Black Conch is an extraordinary, beautifully written book – full of mythic energy and unforgettable characters, including some tremendously transgressive women,” historian Suzannah Lipscomb was quoted as saying in a report in The Guardian. Lipscomb chaired the award.
Roffey’s work is a stunning admixture of imagination and authenticity laying bare an unlikely story of a woman doomed to be a mermaid, and her love for David, a fisherman, and his songs.
The Costa Book Awards generally has five categories – First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children’s Book. Any one among them wins the Costa Book of the year. Furthermore, each category is judged by a panel of three judges separately. The Costa Book of the year is chosen by a nine-member panel; it consists of representatives from the previous panel’s judges. They are further joined by other famous people with an affinity for reading.
“I really wanted this book to be seen and read, so this time last year we were all ready to go, then Covid-19 hit us all and the book fell into a black hole and disappeared, got swallowed up. And now this. It’s been a rollercoaster. I’m 55 now, I’ve been writing for 20 years – really there’s no superlative that I could use that’s enough to describe what a great breakthrough this is,” the author was quoted as saying. She won £30,000 as prize money.
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