Granta signs up second book by Stowe

Granta has signed up the second book by Hannah Stowe, author of Move Like Water (also Granta).

Associate publishing director Laura Barber acquired UK and commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, on proposal to She, The Sea from from Jessica Woollard at David Higham Associates. It will publish in spring 2026.

She, The Sea will draw on Stowe’s experience of being a female sailor in a mostly male world to explore the rich and largely unknown history of seafaring women.

The publisher said: “The book will take the form of a journey by boat, as Stowe sails around the South China Sea in the wake of one of the most audacious of these pioneering women: Zhèng Yī Sǎo, the world’s most successful pirate. Weaving together the story of Stowe’s modern-day voyage with the stories of Zhèng Yī Sǎo and other notable female sailors of the past, She, The Sea will be an enthralling celebration of women who have defied the odds to rule the waves.”

Barber said: “It has been such a privilege to work with Hannah on her debut, Move Like Water, and to see how powerfully early readers have responded to its passionate paean to the sea and all its creatures. She, The Sea feels like an exciting book to follow that: a story that is once more underpinned by Hannah’s expertise as a sailor and her intimate knowledge of the oceans, but also allows her to dive deeper into the human (and specifically female) history of the sea.”

Stowe said: “She, The Sea is a history, a personal reclaiming, an exploration and an adventure, honouring some of the most talented women in seafaring history. Working with Laura Barber and Granta on my debut allowed me to push my writing, which has had such a warm and receptive early response.”