I very much enjoyed learning from Sean Campbell at Epoque Press on my creative writing MA at West Dean in 2023, so when looking for novels set in Sri Lanka before my holiday there this July, I was delighted to find he had published a novel about the Sri Lankan civil war, Seek the Singing Fish by Roma Wells.

This is a captivating debut that charts the turmoil of one girl whose home, life and family is ripped apart by war. She seeks refuge in the natural world and the beauty of Sri Lanka but finds herself exiled and trafficked to London, only able to dream of her homeland, as she tries to survive forced labour and then homelessness on the streets of London.

She is saved when a bookshop owner takes an interest in her and her love of books and slowly and carefully coaxes her back to life, before seeing if he can find a way to reunite her with her home and family.

This is a beautiful book that pulls no punches and is clear that happy endings in war are never straightforward. It was a great way to get some understanding of what Sri Lanka has been through before going to visit and a must for anyone interested in learning more about this beautiful place.