Seascraper by Benjamin Wood

Seascraper My Rating: 4.8

Twenty-year-old Thomas Flett leads a quiet, deliberate life in Longferry, Northern England. He works as a shanker, scraping shrimp along the drizzly shore with his horse and cart, sells his catch, and spends his afternoons dreaming of music and pining for his neighbor, Joan Wyeth. At heart, Thomas is a folk musician, but it remains a private dream, tucked away beneath the salt and sea-scum of his daily life.

Everything changes when a mysterious American, Edgar, arrives in town. He enlists Thomas’s help in scouting the perfect location for his next movie. Initially skeptical, Thomas slowly begins to trust Edgar, and the promise of Hollywood glamour shakes him from the monotony of his routine. But as Thomas is drawn further into Edgar’s world, questions arise: How much of Edgar’s vision is real? And how far can Thomas allow himself to be inspired?

Wow. This short novel completely captivated me. I can’t quite explain why, but it was just so good. The atmosphere is moody and grey, the writing lyrical and emotional. I could feel the chill of the fog and the hardship of Thomas’s life on the shore - my heart went out to him (and his horse!) as he labored through each day.

Benjamin Wood has a gift for crafting emotional landscapes that linger long after the last page. I’ll definitely be reading more of his work. Seascraper was longlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize, and it’s easy to see why.

A huge thanks to @shoegaljeana on Instagram for this fantastic recommendation!