Seascraper by Benjamin Wood

A poignant, atmospheric tale about a young man who carries on working in his grandfather's role as a 'seascraper'. This is a word he made up to describe what the job entails, that is, scraping the shallow waters for shrimp.

It is lonely work, involving forever being wet and cold, rising early and never smelling good. Minor ailments affect him as a result of his job. But it is something he feels obliged to do so that he can look after his mother and honour his late grandfather who taught him the art of collecting shrimp and helped to raise him. He does have dreams of creating music and playing the guitar, plus he would really like to ask his friend's sister out on a date. But he lacks self confidence to break out so continues to perform his duties.

This is a finely detailed story, especially depicting the landscape and seascraping itself, based on a moody beach in the north west of England, in a place called Longferry. I suspect this is a fictitious place, but is reminiscent of the beaches just past Liverpool, such as Southport or Formby, where the sea is a long way from the land, and the young man indicates that he went on a bus to Liverpool. The music of the time includes Roy Orbison, so the setting must be around the 1950s or 1960s. I enjoyed the nice relationship he has with his horse, showing how he cares for its well-being despite not naming the beast.

A beautifully told story that I enjoyed reading, despite the gloominess and dreary life of the man and his mother. With some profound moments, this is a powerful book that somehow sparkles.

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Published by Penguin on 17 July 2025.
​Advance review copy supplied by the publisher.

Winner of the Winston Graham Historical Prize
​Winner of the Nero Book Award

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