Sea Defences wins silver in prize dominated by Eye group titles

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Hilary Taylor, author of the lyrical literary thriller Sea Defences, received the runner-up award at the  New Angle Prize ceremony on 25 September.

Her debut novel, set on the North Norfolk coast, was published by Lighting, the paperback imprint of Eye Books, in January 2023. As well as the New Angle Prize, it was also shortlisted for the Paul Torday Memorial Prize and the Creative Suffolk Author Award.

Shortlist

Also on the shortlist for the New Angle Prize were three other titles now published by the Eye Books Group:

• Katharine Quarmby’s historical novel The Low Road, originally published in hardback by Unbound. Following that publisher’s collapse, Eye Books acquired the paperback and ebook rights, under the Lightning imprint.
  

• Robert Ashton’s non-fiction ode to rural life, Where Are the Fellows Who Cut the Hay? (also longlisted for the Wainwright Prize). Again originally published by Unbound, it is now available through Wilton Square Books, the company Eye Books set up in August to provide a home for Unbound authors.
  

• Amanda Addison’s YA novel Looking for Lucie. Originally published by Neem Tree Press, an imprint of Unbound, the novel will soon be available through Wilton Square.

Strong foothold

Will Atkinson, the managing director of Eye Books and co-CEO of Wilton Square, said: ‘We’re immensely proud to be the publisher of four out of six of this year’s New Angle Prize shortlist – and also that the book we originated, Sea Defences, gave the clear favourite such a run for his money.

‘While the Eye Books Group is not formally based in East Anglia, we have long had a strong foothold in the region. Our showing in this key literary award shows that we are stronger in the East of England than ever.’

The winner of the New Angle Prize was Blythe Spirit, Ian Collins’ biography of East Anglia’s most celebrated man of letters, Ronald Blythe.

Also on the shortlist was Matt Gaw’s celebration of the British climate In All Weathers.