Donald S Murray
A son of the Hebrides, Donald S Murray is a writer and poet whose first novel, As the Women Lay Dreaming, won the Paul Torday Memorial Prize in 2020, as well as being shortlisted for a host of other literary awards. Like his first novel, his second, In a Veil of Mist, is set in the Isle of Lewis and centred on historical events of the 20th century. In a Veil of Mist was shortlisted for the Highland Book Prize. Donald’s previous books have been shortlisted for both the Saltire Literary Awards and the Callum Macdonald Memorial Award. His critically acclaimed non-fiction books bring to life the culture and nature of the Scottish islands, and he appears regularly on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio Scotland. He is also the writer of The Man who Talks to Birds, a collection of poetry published in 2020.
His latest novel, The Call of the Cormorant, is an ‘unreliable biography’ of Karl Kjerúlf Einarsson: an artist and an adventurer, a charlatan and a swindler, forever in search of Atlantis.
The Call of the Cormorant
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From the author of the prize-winning As the Women Lay Dreaming comes a remarkable ‘unreliable biography’ of Karl Kjerúlf Einarsson: an artist and an adventurer, a charlatan and a swindler, forever in search of Atlantis.
As a child in the windswept, fog-bound Faroe Islands in the late nineteenth century, Karl Einarsson believes he is special, destined for a life of art and adventure. As soon as he can, he sets out for Copenhagen and beyond, styling himself as the Count of St. Kilda. He’s an observer and citizen of nowhere, a serial swindler of aristocrats and Nazis, fishermen and fops.
But when his adventures find him in 1930s Berlin, he is forced for the first time to reckon with something much bigger than himself. As the Nazis rise to power around him, his wilful ignorance becomes unwitting complicity, even betrayal.
Based on a true story, this is a fantastical tale of island life, of those who leave and those who stay behind, and the many dangers of delusions and false identities.
REVIEWS OF The Call of the Cormorant
“From the first line I know I’m in the hands of a bard and consummate storyteller. The writing is lyrical and hugely descriptive … The history is rich and fascinating.” Historical Novels Review
“An intriguing and engaging novel based on the life of a real man … I would recommend [it] to anyone wanting something memorably different to read.” Undiscovered Scotland
“A wonderful tale looking at belonging and identity... in the strong storytelling tradition of both Northern Scotland and the Nordic countries, and [Murray] is a master of it.” Alistair Braidwood, Scots Whay Hae / CamGlen Radio
“One of the most interesting and enjoyable [authors] writing in Scotland today … A fine story, rich in irony, a story of folly and a fool who nevertheless invites one’s sympathy …[Murray’s] most ambitious novel to date.” – Allan Massie, Scotsman
“A beautifully written novel, the prose sweeps off the page like the seabirds of the Faroes.” Inverness Press & Journal, Book of the Week
