Author: Y.M. Abdel-Magied

Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945)

Published on 21 May 2026 by Canongate Books in the United Kingdom.

Hardback | 240 pages
143 x 221 x 25 | 346g

A DUA LIPA'S SERVICE95 'MUST READ' FOR 2026'A smart, razor-sharp takedown of the machismo of Big Oil' CAOILINN HUGHES'Propulsive and engrossing and deeply fascinating' SAFIA ELHILLO'A thrilling and emotionally complex ride ' ORE AGBAJE-WILLIAMS'Required reading for the Petroleum Age' DAVID HUEBERT'An utterly brilliant, searing, incisive novel' LUCIA OSBORNE-CROWLEY'Fast-paced, gripping and gloriously entertaining' TILLY LAWLESSBeing one of the boys was one thing. Being the boss of the boys was something else altogether.

Expert driller Zainab is called to take charge of a high-stakes oil rig operation. Unable to resist the opportunity, she leaves behind her pregnant sister and heads offshore for the job of her life. But there's a catch. The rig is teetering on the edge of disaster - and Zainab is the only woman amongst a crew of hardened men who want absolutely nothing to do with her.

At the helm but forced to prove herself at every turn, Zainab labours to investigate the rig's imminent collapse. She quickly grasps that the real danger lies in the cold calculations and base desires of the men she is forced to spend every waking moment with.

As tensions rise and secrets unravel, Zainab races to uncover the truth bubbling below and fend off the looming catastrophe. Explosive and thought-provoking, At Sea is an exhilarating story about the clash of ambition, principle and prejudice, and the unexpected consequences of our choices.