Horatio is an outstanding writer of literary non-fiction. He’s written before about life on a container ship and on an icebreaker, three memoirs, two important books on acute mental crisis, a glorious book on Bach, a book on curlews and swallows, three delightful books for young children and a couple more on Welsh myths — all in addition to regular journalism.

With the small boats crisis as its focus, We Came By Sea is an exemplary work of reportage, motivated by curiosity and a suspicion of prevailing narratives.

This short book began ‘with a feeling of deep disquiet’ brought on by reading the reports (suspiciously consistent in tone and agenda) of people coming to Britain’s south coast in small boats from France since 2020. Sceptical of the single narrative and cautious of the political winds of recent years, Clare visited Dover, Calais, Cornwall and Merseyside, where some refugees were housed as they waited for their applications to be processed. He also talks to people involved with the crisis in every kind of capacity. Observant and careful, he writes what he sees; exposes hypocrisy, corruption, lies, political cynicism and undue profit at the taxpayer’s expense – while celebrating the extraordinary courage and tenacity of the search and rescue teams and charities involved.

Interviewed by Johnny de Falbe 

Edited by Magnus Rena