The Draw of the Sea

Product Information

In his 1972 Shell Book of Beachcombing, Tony Soper insists that beachcombers must ‘adapt to the change and learn to enjoy the plastic artefacts which decorate the tideline’. But what is less common is the sea as told through the eyes of people who work with it, play in it; live their lives in the unassuming everyday of the coastal off-season, barely brushing shoulders with the tourists seeking out shots for the 'gram. I particularly like Richard Carew’s description of Cornwall in the early 1600s as a ‘demi island’ because it often feels that we are entirely surrounded by water here. From the wreckers who scour secret beaches for modern day ‘plunder’ to the free divers who can hold their breaths for minutes at a time, Wyl’s journey sees him meeting with an eclectic group of people who have one thing in common: they love the sea and its inhabitants as much as he does. Starting from his own fascination with the coast – a draw that sees him settle on the south-west coast – The Draw of the Sea follows Wyl as he travels around Cornwall and the Scilly Isles meeting other people whose lives are intimately involved with the sea.

The extract I have for you is about the things you can find when beachcombing – sadly too much plastic but sometimes intriguing treasures. As I made my way west along the beach from the lobster pot, I set about making my usual internal bargain. The vast and ephemeral sea and the traditions of the Cornish coastal communities mix intimate portraits with epic themes in a very poetic way.WINNER OF THE HOLYER AN GO AWARD 2023 Wyl Menmuir’s The Draw of the Sea is a beautifully written and deeply moving portrait of the sea and the people whose livelihoods revolve around it, examining the ephemeral but universal pull the sea holds over the human imagination. Menmuir’s prose is filled with the relentless curiosity and enthusiasm of someone for whom the sea is a genuine source of wonder.

It's beautiful and thoughtfully human, a portrait of those lives that revolve around the swell of ocean and tide. The islands of the archipelago were once a single larger island, Ennor, and Menmuir uses the memory of this place to explore the legend of Lyonesse, the Arthurian Atlantis.He even has a go at free diving, those amazing people who can hold their breath for minutes at a time. In this beautiful collection of essays the author journeys from place to place, person to person, examining his own relationship with the sea and encountering others who hold a mirror up to his own feelings and experiences.

We are shown the effect on coastal communities of second-home ownership and overtourism, the impact on humans of other humans being strangely similar to that of humans on the wildlife.Rockpoolers seek out sheltered coves in which they can observe the St Piran’s hermit crabs, scarlet and gold cup corals, and snakelocks anemones, as they go about their mysterious lives. The sea’s great indifference was a comfort in a way I can’t easily explain and it continues to play its part. While I would recommend this to most readers who enjoy creative nonfiction, I would highly recommend it to people who have spent any significant time living near the water. Andrew Watts, The Spectator ‘Much more interesting than simply another bound-beating book about Cornwall. I loved reading about various people, their livelihoods and the way their lives have been shaped by the sea.

Based in Cornwall, Menmuir has many opportunities to explore the seashore and he weaves the results together into a bewitching, hypnotic and all-absorbing hymn to the waves, the shifting pebbles, the animals and plants that make their homes in the water. He tries new experiences, interviewing the people he meets, finding out what it is that draws them to the coast. The Draw of the Sea invites those of us who live near the ocean to see it in new ways and is a salty tonic for those who pine for the scent of seaweed on the air.I love the sea, I am half Cornish and have such good memories of childhoods spent down in Cornwall with my grandparents and my aunt and uncle. forget about touching grass, i need to touch THE SEA I NEED TO GO INTO THE WATER I NEED TO DIVE INTO THE SEA! Folk memories, maritime history, the contribution of the sea to mental health and recovery from trauma and illness all feature. Andrew Watts, The Spectator 'Much more interesting than simply another bound-beating book about Cornwall. By including such an interesting range of stories, it also expanded my perspective of other people's relationships with the sea too.