An extraordinary, timely update on the classic Coleridge poem Is it possible to update a masterpiece? Only, perhaps, with a brand-new masterpiece. Written in 1797, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” was the original eco-fable; drawn in 2010, The Rime of the Modern Mariner is a graphic novel, now set in the cesspool of the North Atlantic Garbage Patch—thus adding a timely and resonant message about the destruction of our seas. Hayes’s visually striking debut is drawn with complex, iconic images reminiscent of old woodcuts. Emerging from every exquisite page are the poem’s enduring themes: compassion for nature, a sense of connection among all living things, and rightful outrage at man’s thoughtless destruction of the environment. Powerful and evocative, lush and stark, The Rime of the Modern Mariner will appeal to fans of Habibi and Persepolis.

An extraordinary, timely update on the classic Coleridge poem, now a graphic novel and set in the cesspool of the North Atlantic Garbage Patch--thus adding a timely and resonant message about the destruction of the seas.

A mariner appears on a park bench and begins his tale...Cursed by an albatross he slew whilst hunting whales, the mariner and his crew find themselves stranded within the North Pacific Garbage Patch- a vast, hypoxic, slow-whirling maelstrom of plastic waste; a hidden repository for the world's litter. Along the way, he meets various characters of our current environmental tragedy- a lady made of oil, a deserted ghost-ship drilling barge, a 2-inch salp (the human race's oceanic ancestor), a blue whale and a hermit. Nostradamus, Cassandra, Medusa, Poseidon, Thor, Gaia, Al-Javari, Mephistopheles and a buzzard also make cameo appearances.

Discover the beautiful stories of Michael Morpurgo, author of Warhorse and the nation’s favourite storyteller. How far would you go to find yourself? The lyrical, life-affirming new novel from the bestselling author of Private Peaceful