Salt On Your Tongue is Charlotte Runcie’s spellbinding exploration of our deep and enduring relationship with the sea – and, in particular, the powerful connection between women and the ocean throughout history. Written in lyrical, immersive prose, Runcie examines how the sea has enchanted, inspired and unsettled us for centuries, and how her own life became entwined with the rhythm of the tides.

This beautifully crafted book feels like a shoreline walk in the company of Turner, Shakespeare, the Romantic poets and the shanty-singers who gave voice to seafaring life. It becomes an ode to the world’s oceans: to sailors battling unpredictable waters, to the women who waited and grieved on distant shores, to the creatures of the deep, and to the swimmers, beachcombers, seabirds and mythical mermaids who populate our maritime imagination.

Drawing upon ancient Greek mythology, poetry, shipwreck lore, and the rich tradition of Scottish folktales, Salt On Your Tongue reveals how the sea’s wild, untameable presence can help us better understand what it means to be human.