A mesmerising portrait of a young man confined in by his class and the ghosts of his family's
past dreaming of artistic fulfilment. It confirms Benjamin Wood as an exceptional talent in
British literature. 'One of the finest British novelists of his generation' Times 'A huge
talent' Hilary Mantel 'Benjamin Wood is a magnificent writer and I intend to read everything
he has written' Douglas Stuart Thomas lives a slow deliberate life with his mother in
Longferry working his grandpa's trade as a shanker. He rises early to take his horse and cart
to the grey gloomy beach to scrape for shrimp spending the rest of the day selling his wares
trying to wash away the salt and scum pining for Joan Wyeth down the street and rehearsing
songs on his guitar. At heart he is a folk musician but it remains a private dream. When a
striking visitor turns up bringing the promise of Hollywood glamour Thomas is shaken from the
drudgery of his days and begins to see a different future. But how much of what the American
claims is true and how far can his inspiration carry Thomas? Haunting and timeless this is
the story of a young man hemmed in by his circumstances striving to achieve fulfilment far
beyond the world he knows. 'Seascraper is powerful poignant and poetic. I can't recommend it
enough' Benjamin Myers award-winning author of Cuddy 'Britain's answer to Donna Tartt'
Sunday Times 'What a writer' Richard Osman
