In conversation: Veronica Skotnes with Annie McDermott

Please join us for this extraordinary occasion — the adventurous author Veronica Skotnes will stop off at The Waves on a coastal tour celebrating the English translation of her remarkable memoir, North of the Winter Sun. 

Four years ago, Veronica left her life on the mainland to live in isolation on a sailboat and experience the unforgiving wrath of the wind and the waves. In North of the Winter Sun, Veronica Skotnes charts her sail across the Arctic Sea, exploring nature and climate change, Norwegian and Sami folklore, and the isolation and community found among the weathered islands of northern Norway. She heads towards Finnmark, the northernmost county of Norway, to visit islands where strangers share her longing for the sea. She prepares to face the dangers of an open ocean and empty ports in exchange for the relief of nature and community.

North of the Winter Sun is an evocative portrayal of the hospitality found in isolated fishing villages, global warming’s impact on the ocean and its wildlife, and a young woman’s search for agency and freedom aboard an old, beloved boat.

This event is free to attend, but likely to fill up fast, so please do register in advance.

Veronica Skotnes will be in conversation with literary translator and critic Annie McDermott. 

Annie McDermott is a Hastings-based literary translator working from Spanish and Portuguese. She has translated books from Mexico, Uruguay, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, and elsewhere. Her work has been nominated for the International Booker Prize, the Dublin Literary Award, a US National Book Award, and the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation. She also reviews books for the Times Literary Supplement, teaches translation workshops, mentors emerging translators, and swims in the sea.