Ten Great Books set in the SEYCHELLES

9th September 2021

The Seychelles is the latest location for our ‘Ten Great Books Set In…’ series. Ten great books set in the Seychelles. The Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, off East Africa. It’s home to numerous beaches, coral reefs and nature reserves, as well as rare animals such as giant Aldabra tortoises. Mahé, a hub for visiting the other islands, is home to capital Victoria. It also has the mountain rainforests of Morne Seychellois National Park and beaches, including Beau Vallon and Anse Takamaka.

‘The opportunity that God sends does not wake up him who is asleep’ – Seychelles proverb

A Gecko Blew Up My Toaster by Martin Varley

Martin and Joanna Varley and their four homeschooled children have moved from recession-racked UK to the idyllic islands of Seychelles. But it is anything but paradise. They have already had to adjust to sharing their house with cockroaches and living in a world without supermarkets.

Coming up to their first Christmas, the eccentricities of Seychelles life come under the spotlight again. The family have to make their own Christmas tree and Christmas dinner is barbequed cabbage on the the beach. But the stars of this book is the islands’ wildlife as the family encounters two tailed lizards, turtle-eating ghost crabs, nuts the size of footballs and trees found nowhere else on earth.

‘A Gecko Blew Up My Toaster’ shines a light into corners of living on a tropical island that you don’t see in the holiday brochures. This is Seychelles beyond the sun sand and sea, a world that is chaotic, crazy and sometimes downright unbelieveable.

grk: Operation Tortoise by Josh Lacey

When Tim discovers a man badly hurt on a beach, his sun-kissed relaxing holiday in the Seychelles takes on a more dangerous twist. He and Grk are the only ones, it seems, who want to know what happened. They find themselves speeding towards a well-guarded private island, and single-handedly foiling a dastardly plot threatening the local endangered giant tortoises.

Hard Times in Paradise by William McAteer

Hard Times in Paradise describes life in the Seychelles islands under the British, first as a Dependency of Mauritius and later as one of the Empire’s smallest Crown colonies. The story opens in 1827, the year that saw the first British troops land in Seychelles, and ends just after the First World War. This is a book for both the general reader and the student. It contains detailed notes and sources to supplement the main text, together with short biographies of more than 65 personalities who played a role in this period of Seychelles history. There are also 16 pages of photographs, several of which have not been previously published. This is the second book in McAteer’s trilogy on the history of the Seychelles, and is based on original research from around the world. It covers the British efforts to end the Indian Ocean slave trade, as well as the period when the islands were a centre for whaling; ships came from as far away as Boston, USA, to seek out whales in the Indian Ocean.

Kolony: Old Evil Dies Hard by Glynn Burridge

In 1884, descendants of an ancient colony of pirates and their brutal tribal allies capture a scientific research vessel and its occupants who are then shipwrecked together on a remote atoll of the Seychelles Archipelago, where they evolve, over time, into a heinous, bloodthirsty cult with a wide sphere of influence.A century later, they are encountered by a divided expedition of modern-day travellers who must unravel the age-old mystery of the ‘Kolony’, its dark past and terrible secret, before they become the latest in a long line of its victims.

Stranded in the Seychelles by Bev Spicer

Bev and Carol are back and looking for a new adventure! This time, they fly off to the Seychelles to teach students of the National Youth Service. They are provided with a beautiful house on Mahé and commute to work on the tiny island of Ste. Anne in a World War II landing craft. Lush, sunny and colourful, the Seychelles is the perfect setting for two girls on the lookout for inspiration and fresh experiences, so why not join them? See the sights, find out about life in the Indian Ocean, and enjoy the madness. Fuelled by fish, rice and South African rum, Bev and Carol tour the islands on an ancient motorbike in their free time, discovering paradise and what lies beyond. There are giant spiders, heart-stopping bus rides and a tangled expatriate community, against a volatile political backdrop. Put your feet up and dive into Bev and Carol’s chaotic world, where common sense and spontaneity are often at odds. You’ll see what makes them tick and probably have a lot of laughs along the way. ‘Stranded in the Seychelles’ – could it be this much fun?

Glitz by Louise Bagshawe

The four beautiful Chambers girls are rolling in money, thanks to the trust fund set up by their reclusive, super-rich uncle Clem. But when he summons his nieces to his mansion in the Seychelles to announce his engagement to Bai-Ling, a woman young enough to be their baby sister, the girls know the party could be over.

Can they stop the wedding? What happens when four pampered princesses have to cope without their trust fund? Who will learn to stand on their own two feet… and who will fall?

Seychelles – The Best Of: A Photographic Journey through Pristine Natural Beauties by Gregor Kervina

Now in its 3rd edition, complete with fresh design and extra stories, the evergreen ‘Voices’ collection of Seychelles short stories by Glynn Burridge describes the strange secrets, realities and fantasies of life on Seychelles’ Outer Islands where the author lived for two decades.

Reviewed by the BBC as ‘beautiful and powerful’, ‘Voices’ was also selected by journalist and author Anne Morgan as one of her preferred Seychelles books as she read her way around the world and will lead you on an unforgettably rich literary adventure into the twilight of the fast-disappearing world of the true Seychelles islander. Glynn Burridge is also the author of the dark Seychelles historical thriller, ‘Kolony’.

Where The Clock Strikes Twice by Alec Waugh

Part sentimental journey revisiting old well-loved scenes of former travels, and part search for new, out-of-the-way lands, Alec Waugh’s travel book tells of a journey half-way round the world. But in new or old places, the author’s sense of romance and adventure, his gift of combining past and present, his ability to create a mood and tell a story provide continuously enlightening and enlivening reading.

The chief object of these travels was to visit the Seychelles Islands. This remote British colony, lost in the immensity of the Indian Ocean, is a world forgotten by the world, a world in itself. Alec Waugh’s description of these tropical islands, their people and their history, ranks among the best of travel writing.

Butler Did It! by Sally Pomeroy

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