Benjamin Myers’s first novel since his Walter Scott prize-winning The Gallows Pole and switch from tiny indie publisher Bluemoose to Bloomsbury is an unexpectedly touching story of a friendship that conquers the barriers of age, class and gender. Set over a summer in the aftermath of the second world war, the book follows 16-year-old Robert Appleyard as he leaves his Durham colliery village to search for any work that isn’t coal mining: “an act of escapology and rebellion”. On reaching the east coast, he encounters Dulcie Piper, a woman three times his age who lives alone in a rambling cottage. They form an unlikely but symbiotic relationship, in which he gardens while she provides food, shelter and intellectual sustenance. Benjamin Myers’s eighth novel, The Offing, is the tale of Robert, a young man who, in the aftermath of the second world war, sets out across Yorkshire to Robin Hood’s Bay, where he forges an unlikely friendship with an eccentric and artistic older woman, Dulcie. Myers’s novels have always been challenging, intelligent and linguistically adventurous, and he built up a loyal underground following with books such as Beastings, Pig Iron, and The Gallows Pole. This latter was his breakthrough success, winning the Walter Scott prize. He lives in Hebden Bridge with his wife, the novelist Adele Stripe. During their meals Dulcie almost retrains Robert’s relationship to food. Growing up with food shortages Robert had never developed an appetite. Yet, with Dulcie he discovers that food can be sublime. From the inviting smells and appearances of a dish to its delicious taste. However there were a few problems. Several anachronisms were noted by different readers: the remarks about “burning off calories”, a Saudi oil tanker before Saudi Arabia had started producing oil, and dialogue such as “any time soon” or “oh, right”. Also more than one person thought that the atmosphere was more like the 1920s than the 1940s. The offing, she explains to him as they look out across the water to Europe, is “that distant stretch of sea where sky and water merge”; she broadens his horizons but is only too aware that horizons can also contract.

The ending of the novel was found by some to be a little romantic and sentimental; and by others to be satisfying. Everyone agreed that the book was very visual, and one reader thought it was perhaps aimed at a film script. Other comments were that Romy’s poems were good to read, the descriptions of the sea were wonderful, and that the author made the reader feel that he “really relished what he was writing”. Recipient of the Roger Deakin Award and first published by Bluemoose Books, Myers' novel The Gallows Pole was published to acclaim in 2017 and was winner of the Walter Scott Prize 2018 - the world's largest prize for historical fiction. It has been published in the US by Third Man Books and in 2023 was adapted by director Shane Meadows for the BBC/A24. On the plus side: beautiful writing, although there were constant (too many?) references to light and nature/creation. I found the parallel time frames worked well - switching from one place of misery to a different one every chapter or so was a relief in a strange way. I’m not a curator, so I thought I’d imagine myself as a magazine editor. A Guest Editor at Turner Contemporary. The offing, but also the horizon, the sea and seaside towns were the editorial themes to which the artists could respond however they liked – the only parameter being a time limit of six minutes. The titles of their works alone suggest how they responded: Old Town, Fata Morgana*, Miasma, even volvic. Your previous novels were put out by a small independent publisher, Bluemoose . After the Walter Scott prize and the huge sales of The Gallows Pole, The Offing feels like a departure both in the fact that it’s being published by Bloomsbury and in its more gentle, pastoral feel.It’s a tale of a troubled past told by Madelaine who’s been a patient at a mental infirmary for the past 20 years. It’s clear that she has recently committed some terrible act of violence, though Madelaine apparently doesn’t know what she has done or why she is in the infirmary. All of this comes to light through hypnotherapy sessions with Dr Lucas, a newly-arrived specialist who diagnoses that Madelaine has “dissociative amnesia”. He wants her to reconstruct the events leading to her committal to the institution on her 14th birthday. Meine Erwartungen waren riesig, lieben doch so viele dieses Buch. Vor allem die unabhängigen Buchhandlungen, denn zu deren Lieblingsbuch wurde es 2020 gekührt. Und so wurde ich auch zuerst darauf aufmerksam. Recipient of the Roger Deakin Award and first published by Bluemoose Books, Myers' novel The Gallows Pole was published to acclaim in 2017 and was winner of the Walter Scott Prize 2018 - the Benjamin Myers was born in Durham, UK, in 1976. Perhaps because of such sentiments, the life Dulcie has lived, and introduces Robert to, is one of making the most of every moment. She has taken pleasure wherever it may be found: nature and literature, food and wine, love and travel. A tragedy haunts her yet she retains an enthusiasm for life, eschewing societal strictures. She shows Robert that he has choices beyond family expectation. When the family falls on very hard times due to rejection by the islanders she feels that God has forsaken them because of a “terrible sin” committed by her. Having been instructed that forgiveness can only be obtained by a bloody sacrifice (as in Abraham and Isaac) she acts according to her belief with terrible consequences for herself.

I struggled with the book at times. Not because of all the religious connotations, I let these wash over me, but more with the language fourteen year old Madeline uses in her diary entries. This was not the language I would assume, rightly or wrongly, would come easily and naturally to a teenager on the brink of puberty. I found myself more interested in the older Madeline, and how she was responding to treatment than to the younger Madeline and her journey to being institutionalised. the Great War was the worst atrocity committed by humankind. What lessons were learned? Build bigger bombs and better bombs, that’s all. Hitler still happened, and there’ll be another angry little man along in due course. I sometimes think that in many ways we’re completely screwed, all the time. I suppose it’s a collective state of insanity. It must be, to keep repeating the same patterns of death and violence.” One of the most interesting, restless writers of his generation ... Unfurling at the unhurried pace of a fern, it's an evocatively lyrical paean to the countryside - deeply felt and closely observed * DAILY MAIL * A gorgeous summer song of a book, quietly and precisely what the world needs, calling friendship and gentleness from people, place and language, The Offing is about the best of us. It is to be treasured and passed on -- HORATIO CLAREThat’s a central consideration in Benjamin Myers’ moving and hopeful novel The Offing, which, though written before COVID-19 kneecapped the world, reads like an allegory for our times and the months and years ahead when, sanitised fingers crossed, the worst will be over.

Arresting and profoundly moving ... A state-of-the-nation novel, driven by love and concern ... A lament for the crumbling best of England. This a novel for our times' * IRISH TIMES * Benjamin Myers was born in Durham in 1976. His novel The Gallows Pole received a Roger Deakin Award and won the Walter Scott Prize for historical fiction. Beastings won the Portico Prize for Literature and Pig Iron won the Gordon Burn Prize, while Richard was a Sunday Times Book of the Year. He has also published poetry, crime novels, and short fiction, while his journalism has appeared in publications including, among others, the Guardian, New Statesman, Caught by the River and New Scientist. He lives in the Upper Calder Valley, West Yorkshire. Get involved Glorious ... Leaves an indelible impression ... A moving and subtle novel in many ways, infused with a love of the minute pleasures in life, and the lasting regrets * SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY * Der Autor erzählt auf sehr feinfühlige Art vom ländlichen Leben in England nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg, von Trauer und Tod, aber auch von Hoffnung und Kunst. Vor allem gefallen haben mir die Naturbeschreibungen und die Schilderungen des Essens, das Dulcie für Robert kocht - obwohl ich keinen Fisch mag, hat sich das für mich alles einfach köstlich angehört! (Mein Tipp: nicht hungrig lesen 🥘) Auch die langsam erblühende Freundschaft zwischen Robert und Dulcie sowie Dulcies große Liebe waren so zart und schön beschrieben, dass mir beim Lesen das Herz aufging. The writing is beautiful and evocative describing a summer long gone but always remembered. The character of Dulcie is memorable and refreshingly open and non-judgemental.

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A relevant and nostalgic tale of an unlikely friendship and of the different ways one can connect to another person as well as to nature. Robert’s reminiscences of his youth and the past present us with seemingly quiet moments that are as moving as they are beautiful. The natural world of the island, especially the garden, the river she is forbidden to swim in, and the sea, are also described in visionary and elemental terms that are both beautiful in their simplicity and sensuously poetic: The Offing presents the notion that being introduced to the right person can transform your life forever. Dulcie teaches Robert how to live – everyone needs a Dulcie Piper in their life! And Robert, after uncovering Dulcie’s secret, leads her to peace. From the beginning I wanted Jessica Hobbs on board. She is so brilliant with character and rigorous about being authentic with following the psychological and emotional story. If we can succeed in capturing an iota of Benjamin Myers’ novel the film will be beautiful and a life enhancer. In Jessica’s hands I have little doubt we will.”

The Inheritors by William Golding. That’s been by my bed for years and I knew I would love it and I did. Most readers were very enthusiastic about this book; one was not. Opinions were generally that it was a powerful, very readable book with a particularly strong sense of place. The vivid pictures of the countryside and the birds and animals were popular, and the characters were thought to be well described and believable. Good contrasts, pleasurable to read, and easy to visualise; comparisons were made with Laurie Lee’s Cider with Rosie, and with Wyl Menmuir’s The Many, as being a “fable with gritty bits of reality within”. Points of particular interest were the idea of setting off to walk indefinitely and without a fixed idea of destination, and whether this could be done in the present day; similarly the custom of working for food and lodging. The specific areas described, with which readers were familiar, were very much appreciated. The book was selected with the help of a panel of library staff from across the UK. Our readers loved The Offing – here are some of their comments: The novel is written in quite lyrical language, with lots of description of the landscape, the seasons, food, the sky. One member described it as “ really a book of poetry, but written as a novel”. As a book group based in the North East ourselves we enjoyed all the local references, even if some members found the early chapters a bit too slow moving. However even they were soon swept up into the story and most people found it difficult to put the book down after that. The writing is very atmospheric and perfectly evokes high summer in the meadows and on the coast.Myers' eye for the natural world is as good as ever ... A keenly observed and heartfelt appreciation of landscape and place * HERALD * As a journalist he has written about the arts and nature for publications including New Statesman, The Guardian, The Spectator, NME, Mojo, Time Out, New Scientist, Caught By The River, The Morning Star, Vice, The Quietus, Melody Maker and numerous others. Mein BuddyRead mit Eva (Herz auf der Zunge) war wunderbar, konnten wir doch gemeinsam den Kopf schütteln und uns fragen, was denn alle Welt nur an dieser Geschichte findet :)