The Whale Tattoo

Cruelly beautiful, utterly authentic - introducing a searingly talented new Queer author

One of the most acclaimed fiction debuts of 2022. Cruelly beautiful, utterly authentic - introducing a searingly talented new Queer writer. When a giant sperm whale washes up on a Norfolk beach it tells Joe Gunner that death will follow him wherever he goes. Joe knows that the place he needs to go is back home.The winner of the Polari First Book Prize 2023. Having stormed out two years ago, it won't be easy, nor will returning to the haunted river beside the house where words ripple beneath the surface washing up all sorts of memories. Joe turns to his sister, Birdee, the only person who has ever listened. But she can't help him. Then there's Tim Fysh, local fisherman and long-time lover. But reviving their bond is bound to be trouble. As the water settles and Joe learns the truth about the river, he finds that we all have the capability to hate, and that we can all make the choice not to. Ransom's fractured, distinctive prose highlights the beauty and brutality of his story, his extraordinarily vivid sense of place saturates the reader with the wet of the river, and the salty tang of the sea.