Garrett Carr is an Observer Best New Novelist for 2025

We are thrilled to see that Garrett Carr has been chosen by The Observer as one of the best new novelists for 2025!

His debut novel, The Boy From the Sea, will be published on 6 February 2025 by Picador.

In his interview, Garrett Carr credits the inspiration for the book to the fishing town of Killybegs, Donegal, where he grew up, stating "Fishing communities haven’t really featured in Irish writing... So I decided to step in and do it.” Inspiration also came from the men in Carr's life growing up, including his father who was a fisherman. "The book is primarily about men who don’t understand themselves emotionally..."

Told through the communal voice of the townsfolk, The Observer states, "The result is a delectably warm, communal voice through which the reader bears witness to one family’s most private moments."

The Boy From The Sea is available to pre-order now.

Read the full article in The Observer here.