Paull's 'immersive' dolphin thriller goes to Corsair

The Bees author Laline Paull’s next book, about a community of dolphins, will be published by Corsair. 

Olivia Hutchings, commissioning editor at the Little, Brown imprint, bought UK and Commonwealth rights for Pod from Caroline Michel at PFD. Corsair will publish the title in hardback, trade paperback and e-book in April 2022. 

“In this immersive thriller, Laline Paull transports us into a changing ocean through the eyes of Ea, a female spinner dolphin abducted by a gang of bottlenose males,” the blurb reads. “Pod explores family, community, the meaning of home, and what it takes to survive their loss. Using the social and physical biology of marine animals, Pod also tells the story of an ocean in crisis from the point of view of the creatures who live there.”  

Hutchings said: “In Pod, Laline Paull has done what no one else can. As a reader, it forces you to experience all the beauty and horror of life in the ocean, while also learning so much about dolphins and their habitat. Laline also finds parallels with our world on land, whether it’s exploring the violence and power struggles that exist in patriarchal societies, refugees forced to flee from their homes, or the love we can find in communities.” 

“Pod is equal parts suspenseful, thought-provoking, and intensely disturbing, though it's ultimately a story of hope. If you enjoy 'Blue Planet' or have recently watched 'Seaspiracy', this should be next on your list.” 

Paull’s debut novel The Bees (Fourth Estate), was published in 2014 and is now available in 16 languages. Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction, longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize and the Impac Prize, and winner of the Orion Magazine Award for Fiction, it is scheduled to be the National Theatre's first VR/live-action production, in autumn/winter 2022.   

Her 2016 second novel The Ice (Fourth Estate) is was longlisted for Goldsboro Books' Glass Bell award. Paull has worked as a screenwriter for film and television in Hollywood and London, and her plays have been produced at the National Theatre and the Southwark Playhouse.   

She said: “This is the book I barely dared write. I knew researching several marine species would be a pleasure, but that confronting the truth about their ocean home would be pain. The ocean is full of extraordinary, bewitching creatures far stranger than fiction, and also the life support for Earth.

"The more I learned, the more I cared, and Pod became the book I had to write. I hope it is serious entertainment, and I'm so grateful to the idealistic and inspiring team at Corsair for publishing it.”