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Rough Edges: Where Land Meets Water, the Untold Stories of Coastline Communities
'This is essential reading for anyone who loves this country's seasides'
Fiona Robertson, author of Stone Lands
'Natasha Carthew writes with an insight and an acuity of vision that few can match'
Sally Huband, author of Sea Bean
'Bracing, insightful and compassionate, the book shines a light on communities too often unseen and unheard'
Jini Reddy, author of Wanderland
'A forceful but compassionate polemic, delivered with Carthew's trademark robustly lyrical prose style'
Tim Hannigan, author of The Granite Kingdom
BEYOND THE PICTURE POSTCARDS, BRITAIN'S COASTAL COMMUNITIES ARE SUFFERING.
Crowds flood the beaches during summer heatwaves but they quickly vanish again, leaving behind drifts of rubbish and unstable seasonal jobs. Seaside property is in high demand but affordable only for landlords and gentrifiers. The cost-of-living crisis and the ongoing pains of austerity trap those at the vulnerable edges of our nation in poverty.
Having grown up in rural Cornwall, Natasha Carthew leaves the county in search of a new home. Travelling the country and exploring the villages, towns and cities of our coast, she meets the people fighting to keep these places alive. With fierce compassion, she shares their voices and their stories.
Rough Edges is a rallying cry for the beauty and importance of our coast and its people.
Fiona Robertson, author of Stone Lands
'Natasha Carthew writes with an insight and an acuity of vision that few can match'
Sally Huband, author of Sea Bean
'Bracing, insightful and compassionate, the book shines a light on communities too often unseen and unheard'
Jini Reddy, author of Wanderland
'A forceful but compassionate polemic, delivered with Carthew's trademark robustly lyrical prose style'
Tim Hannigan, author of The Granite Kingdom
BEYOND THE PICTURE POSTCARDS, BRITAIN'S COASTAL COMMUNITIES ARE SUFFERING.
Crowds flood the beaches during summer heatwaves but they quickly vanish again, leaving behind drifts of rubbish and unstable seasonal jobs. Seaside property is in high demand but affordable only for landlords and gentrifiers. The cost-of-living crisis and the ongoing pains of austerity trap those at the vulnerable edges of our nation in poverty.
Having grown up in rural Cornwall, Natasha Carthew leaves the county in search of a new home. Travelling the country and exploring the villages, towns and cities of our coast, she meets the people fighting to keep these places alive. With fierce compassion, she shares their voices and their stories.
Rough Edges is a rallying cry for the beauty and importance of our coast and its people.
225 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 4, 2026
About the author
Natasha Carthew
17 books24 followersNatasha Carthew is a working-class writer from Cornwall. She is published by Hodder, Bloomsbury, Quercus and the National Trust. Her new book Undercurrent: A Cornish Memoir of Poverty, Nature and Resilience, is out now with Coronet/Hodder.
She is known for writing on Socioeconomic issues and working-class representation in literature for several publications and programmes; including The Booker Prize Foundation, ITV, Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook, The Royal Society of Authors Journal, BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4, The Bookseller, The Guardian, The Observer, Mslexia, The Dark Mountain Project, The Big Issue and The Economist. Natasha guest edited the working-class edition of The Bookseller (Nov 2022) and is recipient of The Bookseller Rising Star Award 2022.
Natasha is Founder and Artistic Director of The Working Class Writers Festival and The Nature Writing Prize for Working Class Writers in association with Octopus/Hachette.
She is represented by Juliet Pickering at Blake Friedman Literary Agency.
She is known for writing on Socioeconomic issues and working-class representation in literature for several publications and programmes; including The Booker Prize Foundation, ITV, Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook, The Royal Society of Authors Journal, BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4, The Bookseller, The Guardian, The Observer, Mslexia, The Dark Mountain Project, The Big Issue and The Economist. Natasha guest edited the working-class edition of The Bookseller (Nov 2022) and is recipient of The Bookseller Rising Star Award 2022.
Natasha is Founder and Artistic Director of The Working Class Writers Festival and The Nature Writing Prize for Working Class Writers in association with Octopus/Hachette.
She is represented by Juliet Pickering at Blake Friedman Literary Agency.
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
July 9, 2026
This is a fascinating and insightful book. Natasha Carthew shines a light on the significant challenges working class communities face along the coast of Britain. Issues that, left unaddressed, will continue to negatively impact millions of people and, in doing so, weaken the country as a whole.
To me, however, the book is far more of a personal reflection on Natasha’s own live than a journey around the country “exploring the villages, towns and cities of our coast, meeting the people fighting to keep these places alive.” I was expecting to learn more about the places she visited.
To me, however, the book is far more of a personal reflection on Natasha’s own live than a journey around the country “exploring the villages, towns and cities of our coast, meeting the people fighting to keep these places alive.” I was expecting to learn more about the places she visited.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review