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2023 Gordon Bowker Volcano Prize (shortlist)
2023 Polari Prize for Best Book
Winner of the Polari Prize 2023
Shortlisted for the Gordon Bowker Volcano Prize
‘A gothic fairy tale, sublime in its creepiness’ – Florence Welch
Our Wives Under The Sea is the haunting novel from Julia Armfiled, the critically acclaimed author of Salt Slow. It’s a story of falling in love, loss, grief, and what life there is in the deep, deep sea.
Miri thinks she has got her wife back, when Leah finally returns after a deep sea mission that ended in catastrophe. But It soon becomes clear that Leah may have come back wrong. Whatever happened in that vessel, whatever it was they were supposed to be studying before they were stranded on the ocean floor, Leah has carried part of it with her, onto dry land and into their home.
Memories of what they had before – the jokes they shared, the films they watched, all the small things that made Leah hers – only remind Miri of what she stands to lose. Living in the same space but suddenly separate, Miri comes to realize that the life that they had might be gone.
'A wonderful novel, deeply romantic and fabulously strange' ��� Sarah Waters
'Part bruisingly tender love story, part nerve-clanging submarine thriller' – The Times
Genre: Literary Fiction
Shortlisted for the Gordon Bowker Volcano Prize
‘A gothic fairy tale, sublime in its creepiness’ – Florence Welch
Our Wives Under The Sea is the haunting novel from Julia Armfiled, the critically acclaimed author of Salt Slow. It’s a story of falling in love, loss, grief, and what life there is in the deep, deep sea.
Miri thinks she has got her wife back, when Leah finally returns after a deep sea mission that ended in catastrophe. But It soon becomes clear that Leah may have come back wrong. Whatever happened in that vessel, whatever it was they were supposed to be studying before they were stranded on the ocean floor, Leah has carried part of it with her, onto dry land and into their home.
Memories of what they had before – the jokes they shared, the films they watched, all the small things that made Leah hers – only remind Miri of what she stands to lose. Living in the same space but suddenly separate, Miri comes to realize that the life that they had might be gone.
'A wonderful novel, deeply romantic and fabulously strange' ��� Sarah Waters
'Part bruisingly tender love story, part nerve-clanging submarine thriller' – The Times
Genre: Literary Fiction
Praise for this book
"Without a doubt, Our Wives Under the Sea is one of the best books I've ever read. It's not only art, it's a perfect miracle. We are lucky for it." - Kristen Arnett
"I was entirely captivated by this book. A gorgeous debut." - Jami Attenberg
"Tender, strange, lucid, and so assured. If you love sci-fi or love stories or books that defy labels or chew-your-arm-off good writing, this is for you." - Kiran Millwood Hargrave
"Spooky and romantic: a gorgeous novel that gets under your skin. Armfield leads you softly through a story that feels epic and intimate at the same time." - Sarvat Hasin
"Delicate and horrifying, Our Wives Under The Sea is a darkly brilliant novel that submerges the reader's imagination in the depths of the unknown." - Megan Hunter
"Beautiful, otherworldly, like floating through water with your eyes open." - Daisy Johnson
"Reading this book is like diving into the deepest depths of the ocean and finding beautiful and disturbing wonders." - Kirsty Logan
"A strange, unnerving novel that wrongfoots you at every turn and invites you to think again about loss, absence, and transformation. A lyrically written elegy." - Neel Mukherjee
"A wonderful novel, deeply romantic and fabulously strange. I loved this book." - Sarah Waters
"I was entirely captivated by this book. A gorgeous debut." - Jami Attenberg
"Tender, strange, lucid, and so assured. If you love sci-fi or love stories or books that defy labels or chew-your-arm-off good writing, this is for you." - Kiran Millwood Hargrave
"Spooky and romantic: a gorgeous novel that gets under your skin. Armfield leads you softly through a story that feels epic and intimate at the same time." - Sarvat Hasin
"Delicate and horrifying, Our Wives Under The Sea is a darkly brilliant novel that submerges the reader's imagination in the depths of the unknown." - Megan Hunter
"Beautiful, otherworldly, like floating through water with your eyes open." - Daisy Johnson
"Reading this book is like diving into the deepest depths of the ocean and finding beautiful and disturbing wonders." - Kirsty Logan
"A strange, unnerving novel that wrongfoots you at every turn and invites you to think again about loss, absence, and transformation. A lyrically written elegy." - Neel Mukherjee
"A wonderful novel, deeply romantic and fabulously strange. I loved this book." - Sarah Waters
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