Sea Bean

“Huband’s knack for metaphor extends beyond the sea bean–a colony of terns becomes ‘a swirling cloud of white that takes on a maleficent form.’ Such rapturous language, combined with Huband’s infectious curiosity about the world around her, make this sing.” – Publishers Weekly

“Tender and thoughtful, Sea Bean is a quiet treasure.” – Booklist

“Sea Bean is a coastal treasure. Its hard-won attentiveness shows the wonder and vulnerability of our interconnected oceans, wildlife, and people. In Sally’s writing, beachcombing–an old island pursuit–is modern, revealing and restorative. The next time I am at the shore I will have a deeper appreciation and curiosity.” – Amy Liptrot, author of The Outrun and The Instant

“A notable addition the canon of beachcombing literature … the inspiring story of a woman coming to terms with a life-changing medical condition by finding beauty and interest and wonder in the infinite variety of things she finds washed up along the shore.” – Scotsman

“This is a book with real heart. As she scours the coastline of her wild island home, Huband shows us not only the delights of hunting for treasure amongst the detritus, but also the horrors of climate change in real time. It will change the way I look at beaches forever.” – Lulah Ellender, author of Elisabeth’s Lists, Grounding: Finding home in a garden, and Nature’s Calendar

“Sally Huband is a perceptive and engaging guide to the shores of Shetland and beyond. Full of curiosity and candour, SEA BEAN reveals the mysteries and wonders that are found where land and water meet.” – Malachy Tallack, author of Illuminated by Water and The Valley at the Centre of the World

“A spectacular book, with a gorgeous slow, sad pace, full of quietly vital information. Sally seems to know just the right way to tell beautiful stories about quiet things. For me anyway, it’s an instant classic of nature writing.” – Sara Baume, author of Seven Steeples and A Line Made by Walking

“A magical, moving, strange book.” – Jon Day, author of Cyclogeography and Homing

“A hymn to the vast watery depths of our planet, Sally explores the vital connections between humans and the creatures contained within and shaped by our precious seas. SEA BEAN is as vital and complex as the oceans themselves.” – Joanna Pocock, author of Surrender

“A wild melding of body and landscape. A deep, immersive, storm-tossed read.” – Helen Jukes, author of A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings

“Like its talismanic title, Huband’s voice is distinct and singular. A gorgeous reckoning with the sea, islands and mythology.” – Sinéad Gleeson, author of Hagstone, Constellations, and The Long Gaze Back

Sally Huband is a writer and naturalist with a Masters in Conservation from University College London and a PhD from the University of Edinburgh. She is a recipient of a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award, and her work has been published in Antlers of Water and Archipelago–A Reader. A native of Bristol, Sally lives in the Shetland Islands with her daughter, son, and husband. Sea Bean is her first book, and it was named a Waterstones Nature and Travel Best Book of 2023, shortlisted for the Highlands Book Prize, and longlisted for the Wainwright Prize of 2023.