Woman-at-sea
2020 Longlist

Woman at Sea

Translated from the French by Adriana Hunter
artwork-image

ABOUT
THE BOOK

Lili is a runaway. She’s left behind her native France to go in search of freedom, of adventure, of life. Her search takes her to Kodiak, Alaska, home to a ragtag community of fishermen, army vets and drifters who man the island’s fishing fleet. Despite her tiny frame, faltering English and lack of experience, Lili lands a job on board the Rebel, the only woman on the boat.

Out on the open sea, everything is heightened: colours are more vivid, sounds are louder and the work is harder than anything she’s ever known. The terrifying intensity of the ocean is addictive to the point of danger. But Lili is not alone: in her fellow crew members she finds kindred spirits, men living on the edge, drawn to extremes.

 

ABOUT
THE AUTHOR Catherine
Poulain

Catherine Poulain has lived on the road and on the sea for most of her life working in fish farms in Iceland, on farms in Canada, in bars in Hong Kong, in naval shipyards in the US. She spent ten years fishing in Alaska before returning to her native France. Woman at Sea is her first novel.

 

Catherine Poulain has lived on the road and on the sea for most of her life working in fish farms in Iceland, on farms in Canada, in bars in Hong Kong, in naval shipyards in the US. She spent ten years fishing in Alaska before returning to her native France. Woman at Sea is her first novel.

 

ABOUT
THE TRANSLATOR Adriana
Hunter

Adriana Hunter is an award-winning translator of French. Since “discovering” the first book she was to translate in 1998, she has translated more than 80 books, mostly works of literary fiction. She has won the Scott-Moncrieff prize and the French-American Foundation and Florence Gould Foundation translation prize, and was shortlisted twice for the Independent foreign fiction prize (now the Man Booker international prize). In 2013, she won the 27th Annual Translation Prize founded by the French-American Foundation and the Florence Gould Foundation for her translation of Electrico W by Hervé Le Tellier (2013). She is also a contributor to Words Without Borders. She lives in Kent, England.

Adriana Hunter is an award-winning translator of French. Since “discovering” the first book she was to translate in 1998, she has translated more than 80 books, mostly works of literary fiction. She has won the Scott-Moncrieff prize and the French-American Foundation and Florence Gould Foundation translation prize, and was shortlisted twice for the Independent foreign fiction prize (now the Man Booker international prize). In 2013, she won the 27th Annual Translation Prize founded by the French-American Foundation and the Florence Gould Foundation for her translation of Electrico W by Hervé Le Tellier (2013). She is also a contributor to Words Without Borders. She lives in Kent, England.

NOMINATING LIBRARY COMMENTS

A young French woman travels the America. She finally ends in Alsaka and works on at boat. She meets another fisherman. It is a great novel of adventure and travel. Bibliothèque municipale de Colmar, France

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Country
France
Original Language
French
Publisher
Jonathan Cape
Translator
Adriana Hunter
Translation
Translated from the French by Adriana Hunter

RELATED FEATURES

Audio June 11 2024

All About Books: Katy Conneely, Dublin City FM on the 2024 Dublin Literary Award Ceremony

In her 'All About Books' podcast Katy Conneely attends the Winning Ceremony of the 2024 Dublin Literary Award on 23rd May 2024 and provides some highlights of the ceremony
Video June 5 2024

2024 Dublin Literary Award Winners Mircea Cărtărescu and Sean Cotter In Conversation

Mircea Cărtărescu and Sean Cotter, winners of the 2024 Dublin Literary Award take an in-depth look at the winning title, Solenoid with Alex Clarke as part of International Literature Festival Dublin.
Video May 31 2024

Dublin Literary Award 2024 Winner Announcements Highlights

Romanian author Mircea Cărtărescu and translator Sean Cotter have been announced as winners of the 2024 Dublin Literary Award on Thursday 23rd of May, for the novel Solenoid.
Video May 8 2024

Alexis Wright – Praiseworthy Q&A

Q&A with Alexis Wright, one of the six shortlisted authors for the 2024 Dublin Literary Award in which she discusses her passion for libraries and explores the influences behind her novel Praiseworthy

STAY CONNECTED

Stay in touch and sign up to our newsletter to receive all the latest news and updates on the Dublin Literary Award.