The Penwith Peninsula in Cornwall is where the land ends. Home to the fishermen who prepare for daily battle with the vast grey Atlantic, it is the last frontier for the dreamers and fighters still striving to make their living from the sea. Rich with a cast of remarkable characters, this is an eye-opening account of life on Cornwall’s most dangerous coast. Mixing drink, drugs, moonlit beaches, shattering storms, myth and urban legend the result is an arresting tapestry of a place that is darker than the picture postcards would ever have you believe.

“The Swordfish, Star and Dolphin are in a triangle, a few yards apart: it was called the Bermuda triangle because fishermen would disappear into it, never to be seen again.”

Gavin Knight “The Swordfish and the Star: Life on Cornwall’s most treacherous stretch of coast”. First published in 2016. This copy is published by Vintage in 2017. Donated to the library by Malcolm from Cornwall ❤️

Photos by Anna Iltnere / Sea Library