Philip Marsden's THE SUMMER ISLES is longlisted for the RSL Ondaatje Prize 2020

The prestigious RSL Ondaatje Prize is an annual award of £10,000 for a distinguished work of fiction, non-fiction or poetry, which best evokes the spirit of place. 

THE SUMMER ISLES: A VOYAGE OF THE IMAGINATION is Philip Marsden's account of a solo sailing trip he took from Cornwall to the Summer Isles, a small archipelago near the top of Scotland that holds for him a deep and personal significance. Through the people he meets and the tales he uncovers, Marsden builds up a haunting picture of these shores – of imaginary islands and the Celtic otherworld, of the ageless draw of the west, of the life of the sea and perennial loss – and the redemptive power of the imagination.

This year’s judges are Peter Frankopan (Chair), Pascale Petit and Evie Wyld.

The 2020 shortlist will be announced on Tuesday 20 April. The winner will be announced on Monday 4 May. More info here.