A poetic and mesmerizing novel, Ultramarine pushes us to the very edges of the narrative genre. Narrated in the first person by a female captain, the only woman amongst the crew of a transatlantic ship, Ultramarine reflects on the fears, strengths, and insecurities of female authority. In a ghostly, almost dream-like, atmosphere, the captain agrees to break one of her rules, letting the crew take a dip in the middle of the ocean. Something changes during that unprecedented swim; an uncertain atmosphere takes over their journey and the ship. A simple business trip turned into a true adventure.

About the Author
Mariette Navarro (1980) studied Modern Literature and Performing Arts as well as Dramaturgy. She writes for theatre and works as a dramaturg. Her published plays include Alors Carcasse (Cheyne, 2011 - Robert Walser Prize 2012), Nous les vagues followed by Celebrations (Quartett, 2011), Prodiges (R) (Quartett, 2012), Les feux de Poitrine (Quartett, 2015), Les Chemins contraires (Cheyne, 2016), Zone a etendre (Quartett, 2018), Les Heretiques (Quartett, 2018) and Les desordres imaginaires ou La destruction du pays par le jeune president a la mode (Quartett, 2020). ULTRAMARINE is her first novel.

Reviews
"In this poetically written debut novel, Mariette Navarro successfully gets to the writing of metaphysical vertigo." Le Monde. "The story is slow and strong, like a marine animal moving forward on the lock-out while sounding the invisible [...]. The story treads carefully between realism and a fantastic world. It will land on its feet at final with such elegance." Le Figaro


Awards
Winner of Prix Hors concours des lecteurs 2022 and Prix du roman CEZAM 2023 and Prix Senghor 2022 and Prix Frontieres-Leonora Miano 2022 and Prix Lecteurs de Villejuif 2022.



Book Information
ISBN 9781739751579
Author MARIETTE NAVARRO
Format Paperback
Imprint Heloise Press
Publisher Heloise Press