The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan will be featured on the Radio 2 Book Club on Monday 27 April.
The book was selected with the help of a panel made up of Reading Agency and library staff from across the UK.
We have an exclusive reading guide available as well as an interview with Kirsty talking about writing her book.
The Gracekeepers
The sea has flooded the earth. North lives on a circus boat, floating between the scattered islands that remain. She dances with her beloved bear, while the rest of the crew trade dazzling and death-defying feats for food from the islanders. But North has a secret that could capsize her life with the circus.
Callanish lives alone in her house in the middle of the ocean, with only the birds and the fish for company. As penance for a terrible mistake, she works as a gracekeeper, tending the graves of those who die at sea.
When a storm creates a chance meeting between the two girls, their worlds change. They are magnetically drawn to one another, and the promise of a new life. But the waters are treacherous, and the tide is against them.
Selection Panel Review
Our reading panel of librarians and staff from The Reading Agency loved The Gracekeepers – here are some of their comments:
“I don’t usually like fantasy but the beauty of the writing drew me into this magical tale about a circus troupe living on a string of coracles wending their way through islands where they perform in return for food. The concept of a world transformed into a watery kingdom dotted with archipelagos inhabited by landlockers is strangely compelling.”
“It’s quite unlike anything I’ve read, except perhaps for Angela Carter; reading it is an experience and you really do feel like you’re in another world. It’s just a lovely book and I would highly recommend it!”
About the author
Kirsty Logan is a writer, performer, writing mentor and book reviewer. Her short story collection, The Rental Heart & Other Fairytales, won the Scott Prize and was longlisted for the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award. She regularly performs her stories at events and festivals throughout the world, and her work has been broadcast on BBC Radio 4. She lives in Glasgow with her fiancée and their rescue puppy, and in 2012 was included in The Skinny and Canongate’s list of 40 Scottish storytellers of the future.
Get involved
Tune in to Simon Mayo’s Drivetime show on Monday 27 April to hear a live interview with Kirsty Logan talking about her book.
Have you read The Gracekeepers? You can share your thoughts on Twitter, or by leaving a review. You can also follow author Kirsty Logan on Twitter
Win 10 copies of The Gracekeepers for your reading group – we have five sets to give away. Just complete our short survey.
Want to find out more? The Radio 2 Book Club has a dedicated Twitter feed.
