Description

‘Fantastic – a wonderful book’ Lily Cole
‘Magical, rich and magnificent’ Maxine Peake
‘A wild ride! She sees Graves’ White Goddess and raises 50 with female magic and transformations’ Margaret Atwood
‘A rare book, bold and powerful’ Xiaolu Guo
‘Wild, original…a beautiful work’ Neel Mukherjee

SHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL FICTION 2022
NOMINATED FOR THE OTHERWISE AWARD 2022

A storm, a disappearance, a band of women and a remote island where anything is possible.

On an unnamed archipelago off the east coast of Britain, Eva Levi has made it her life’s work to build a community truly run by women. Now she has disappeared, rumours spread that it will be destroyed. But Cwen will never let that happen.

Cwen has been here longer than the civilisation she has returned to haunt. Her name has ancient roots, reaching down into the earth and halfway around the world. The islands she inhabits have always belonged to women. And she will do anything she can to protect them.

This remarkable novel is a portrait of female power and female potential, both to shelter and to harm. It reaches into our mythical past and opens up space for us to dream of a radical future.

Publisher Review

A clever, strange and wonderful book, which brims with mystery. A group of women recount their past and present stories, revealing their visions of the future. CWEN by Alice Albinia is a rare book, bold and powerful. -- Xiaolu Guo A wild, original, sure-footed feminist reimagining of the present and the past that brushes up against the mythical. Beautiful work. -- Neel Mukherjee A phenomenal novel showing us that learning to love our female selves is essential for survival. -- Farhana Yamin, Environmental Lawyer, Woman's Hour Power List: Our Planet I loved everything about Cwen, a fable that is filled with wisdom but leavened with humour, balancing the light and dark, and expressing female fury as well as tenderness. -- Ceridwen Dovey Magical, rich and magnificent, Cwen leads us from past to the present through a cast of majestic women. Exploring and reigniting the feminine might and its unbreakable connection with Mother Nature. -- Maxine Peake A wonderful vision of Britain's deep history of myth and matriarchy * Guardian Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Books 2021 *