Muckle Flugga
A novel. Out May 2025.
Life on a remote island is turned upside down by a stranger's arrival, testing bonds of family and tradition and leaving a young dreamer's future hanging in the balance.
It’s no ordinary living on the rugged isle of Muckle Flugga. The elements run riot and the very rocks that shape the place begin shift under their influence. The only human inhabitants are the lighthouse keeper and his otherworldly son, Ouse – them and the occasional lodger to keep the wolf from the door.
When Firth, a chaotic writer, quests in from the capital, the limits of the world the keeper and his son cling to begin to crumble. A tug of war ensues between Firth and the lighthouse keeper for Ouse’s affections – and his future. As old and new ways collide, and life-changing decisions loom, what will the tides leave standing in their wake?
More praise for Muckle Flugga
‘A fever dream of a book, melding myth and magic to the monumental landscape of Scotland.’
— Ian Rankin
‘Exquisitely and poetically written, broodingly and with characters that really get under your skin and into your heart.’
— Nicola Sturgeon
‘Muckle Flugga dazzles with narrative originality, succulent prose, technicolor scenes, and high-definition characters. I’ve never been so in love with a work of fiction.’
— Grace Tame
‘A beautiful and fascinating tale woven by the ultimate word maverick Michael Pedersen.’
— Russell Tovey
‘You can feel the energy and life in every sentence.’
— Matt Haig
‘A quirky and original debut that sizzles with scintillating prose.’
— Bernardine Evaristo
‘What an epic! Michael Pedersen's lush, rococo prose imbues Muckle Flugga with a fantastical, magical, gasp-inducing gait. It is both a domestic tale of island life and a searing paean to the power of art and imagination.’
— Alan Cumming