From the Author of 'The Biggerers', October 2025 brings a quirky speculative tale of Britain's future...
'Warmhearted yet dark. Amy Lilwall creates a world that is instantly relatable, populated by eccentric but engaging characters pushed to their limits by an extreme existential threat. It held me rapt from start to finish.' - Alison Layland, Author of 'Riverflow' and 'Someone Else’s Conflict'
As rising seas threaten to engulf Britain, four lives are on the brink:
Pinko, a privileged heir clinging to decadence;
Jane, a working-class veterinary nurse racing to reunite her family;
her pregnant teenage daughter Ashleigh, grappling with impending motherhood;
and humble young artist Gavin.
With sanctuary beckoning across the Channel, each faces impossible choices. Who will they save? What will they sacrifice?
A lyrical, thought-provoking novel which blurs borders and challenges notions of identity and belonging. In a future where we all may become refugees, it asks: how far would you go to stay afloat?
'Lilwall’s focus is not so much about the science and politics of avoiding/ameliorating/evading this catastrophe. Indeed, there seems to be a refreshing acceptance of the danger and the scientific consensus, with very few naysayers and conspiracy theorizing denialists salting the pages. Which all allows Lilwall to zoom in very closely on the stories of individual people who may have a chance of survival and how they access it.
This needle-sharp focus on one aspect of the climate crisis – that of climate refugees – allows Lilwall to examine a crisis that affects even ‘people like us’ and how the advantages of privilege and wealth are exacerbated by crisis rather than ameliorated. As the saying goes, we may all be facing the same storm, but some of us are doing in so yachts, others in rubber dinghies and some fighting for a pair of waterwings.'
- T.O. Munro, Fantasy Hive
About the Author
Born and raised in the South East of England, Lilwall spent several years teaching English in France before returning to the UK to complete her PhD in Creative Writing at the University of Kent. Now a teacher in Creative Writing at the University of Lincoln, she has a passion for imagining odd scenarios and alternative realities, often exploring themes of power imbalance and injustice in her work. Lilwall's debut novel, "The Biggerers," (Point Blank, One World) established her as a voice to watch in speculative fiction. She co-produces the "On Silence" literary podcast and serves as a guest editor for "The Lit" literary journal.
