Imogen Hermes Gowar’s much-talked-of debut novel on sex and sensibility—and mermaids in Georgian London—is as deep as it is wide, finds Cheryl-Ann Couto.
Imogen Hermes Gowar is polite, measured, scholarly and has total Impostor Syndrome about her debut novel, The Mermaid And Mrs. Hancock (on stands now), which was a literary hotcake long before it came out. Following a 10-way bidding war of publishers in June 2016, Harvill Secker (part of Penguin Random House) acquired the plump historical fiction, scoring Gowar a sensational £2,15,000 advance, according to The Sunday Times.
“It was weird and disorientating having publishers bid for it,” says the 30-year-old, even though it had presciently won The Curtis Brown Award in 2013, when it was just a 15,000-word dissertation for her creative writing MFA at the University Of East Anglia (UAE). “I couldn’t trust what was being said. I felt there was a catch. And I felt like I couldn’t really talk to anyone about it. I know so many writers, and how hard it is to get a book taken on. You don’t want to be like, ‘Oh, poor me. Everyone wants to give me loads of money.’”
Well, there was a catch, and it was that her audacious novel about the unlikely coupling of a mercurial courtesan and a bumbling merchant in 1785 London, after the latter acquires a mermaid is very, very good. Braiding the politics, racial anxieties, crushing patriarchy, blooming industry and folklore of the time, Gowar has rendered a red-blooded portrait of Georgian society through the prism of its flesh trade, with detail, control and style. What’s more, it goes down like a breezy beach read.
This story is from the July 2018 edition of Elle India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 2018 edition of Elle India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Candid With Kriti
After a decade of flirting with fame, the stars have aligned for Kriti Sanon. But under the gilded glory of this cosmic shower, she is clinging on to a "happy, restless" state of mind, finds Hasina Jeelani
GOLDENBOY
In an exclusive interview with ELLE, Footballer Lallianzuala Chhangte shares insights on being at the top of his game
His Reign
Shaeroy Chinoy meets Taha Shah Badussha-the breakout star of Netflix's recent release Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar'
Portrait of a PUBLISHER ON FIRE
Founder of Seagull Books, Naveen Kishore, reflects on building a global audience and what keeps him in the game. Aindrisha Mitra listens in
LUXE OFF-ROADING INMOROCCO
Riaan Jacob George took the nifty Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 out for a rather long spin through the Atlas Mountains, and here's his verdict
TROPICAL LUXURY
Opulence meets tranquillity along the serene beachfront at Ronil Goa-AJdV by Hyatt Hotel, finds Vriddhi Mehra
DISCOVER THE ULTIMATE RETREAT: COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT ARAVALI RESORT
Nestled in the serene heart of the Aravali range in Haryana, the Courtyard by Marriott Aravali Resort offers a perfect blend of nature and modern luxury.
THE VIETAGE BY ANANTARA
Connecting Nha Trang & Quy Nhon, the luxury train is a must-do addition to your Vietnam itinerary
TEA AMO
What happens when an Indian cocktail bar joins forces with a tea estate? Isha Mayer finds out on a spring tea trail to Darjeeling
ALPINE CHARM
Isha Mayer discovers ski adventures, fine dining & palace hotels on a winter escape to Courchevel