Journalist Sophie Elmhirst has been awarded the prestigious Nero Book of the Year prize for her debut book, Maurice And Maralyn: An Extraordinary True Story Of Shipwreck, Survival And Love. The gripping narrative, which recounts the real-life story of a couple who survived for 118 days adrift in the Pacific Ocean after their boat was struck by a whale, has captured the attention of readers and critics alike.
Elmhirst, a long-reads journalist for The Guardian, took home the £30,000 prize at an awards ceremony in central London on Wednesday evening. The ceremony was hosted by renowned journalist and bestselling author Bill Bryson, who chaired the judging panel.
A stunning win for a remarkable story
Elmhirst was visibly moved upon receiving the award, admitting she was “stunned” and “blown away” by the recognition.
“It was not what I expected at all. I was delighted just to be here this evening as one of the category winners. When I heard my name, it took me a minute to realise it was me,” she said.
The book had already won the Nero Award for Best Non-Fiction earlier this year, securing a £5,000 prize in January. However, this latest accolade confirms Maurice And Maralyn as the standout literary achievement of the past 12 months.
A story discovered by chance
Speaking to the PA news agency, Elmhirst revealed that she stumbled upon the story of Maurice and Maralyn “by chance”, but was immediately captivated by both the dramatic survival tale and the complex relationship at its heart.
“It was an extraordinary adventure that they had. But there was also this really indelible, sort of captivating relationship between the two of them. I just knew that somehow the combination of the two things would make, I hoped, an interesting book,” she explained.
Unlike her usual journalistic work, writing the book required a different approach. Elmhirst relied on diaries, letters, and interviews with surviving friends, relatives, and even locals who had known the couple at their favourite café.
Unanimous praise from judges
Bill Bryson described the book as “enthralling, engrossing, and impressively novelistic in its narrative approach.”
“Maurice And Maralyn is a gripping retelling of a true but forgotten story. It is as much a story of a marriage as it is an adventure at sea, exploring the dynamics of a relationship under unimaginable stress,” he said.
Bryson was particularly struck by how the book portrayed Maralyn as the true driving force behind the couple’s survival.
“As Maurice flounders, it is Maralyn’s strength that allows them to survive at sea for 118 days. The book is a tribute to Maralyn’s grit. Sophie Elmhirst’s writing is understated but powerful, immersing the reader in the unfolding drama and the horror of struggling to survive against the odds,” he added.
Bryson also revealed that the judging panel’s decision was unanimous, with all members—including author Bernardine Evaristo and former BBC Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis—agreeing on its literary excellence.
“It was the one book that I really didn’t want to put down. I just wanted to keep reading. It was unputdownable,” he said.
A forgotten story brought to life
The book tells the largely forgotten tale of Maurice and Maralyn, a couple from Derby who sold their house, built a boat, and set sail for New Zealand. Halfway across the world, their boat was struck by a whale, leaving them stranded in the Pacific Ocean.
With limited supplies and no rescue in sight, they survived for nearly four months in a small lifeboat. The book details their physical and emotional struggles, as well as how the experience tested—and ultimately strengthened—their marriage.
Bryson highlighted how, despite Maralyn’s pivotal role in their survival, she was often overlooked in media coverage at the time.
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“When they landed, she was often excluded from photographs and interviews, treated as a mere companion rather than the key figure who kept them alive. The book corrects that injustice beautifully,” he said.
Celebrating literary excellence
The Nero Book Awards celebrate outstanding books and writers from the UK and Ireland. This year’s category winners, who were all in contention for the overall Book of the Year prize, included:
- Best Non-Fiction: Maurice And Maralyn by Sophie Elmhirst
- Debut Fiction: Wild Houses by Colin Barrett
- Best Fiction: Lost In The Garden by Adam S Leslie
- Children’s Winner: The Twelve by Liz Hyder
Elmhirst’s win is particularly remarkable as Maurice And Maralyn is her first book, following an award-winning career in journalism. She previously won the British Press Award for Feature Writer of the Year (2020) and was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Journalism (2024).
With this latest honour, Elmhirst has firmly established herself as one of the UK’s most exciting new literary voices.
