One of the most fascinating releases of the year, Nathan Munday’s debut Whaling is a refreshing and beautifully written novel. Set in Milford Haven circa the late 1800s, it follows several characters navigating the arrival of a whaling community from Nantucket in the then-small Welsh port town.

Compounding the community’s already nervous attitude towards the incomers, a whale (shot by the group of Americans on their way into the port) has washed up on a beach nearby, and the whole village is convinced it is an omen.

Mainly a novel but with aspects of poetry, the book also intersperses historic accounts pulled from Welsh archives, old paintings, and excerpts from other novels to give the reader an insight into the history behind the story. These creative and innovative additions to the book added texture and depth to the narrative – I opted to read some about things that particularly interested me and skipped others that didn’t grab me. This approach to offering context allows the audience to pad out the experience as much as they want, without losing any of the (incredibly beautiful and well-written) narrative if they choose not to engage.

A stunning debut, Whaling is definitely one of my favourite books of the year.