Book Summary: "Isla de Pinos" by Ben Dunwell

During the height of Phoenician maritime power, when the western reaches of the Great Sea remained largely uncharted, a young woman named Kaly makes a daring escape from ancient Tyre. Fleeing her malevolent grandmother—high priestess of the Mother Goddess—she ventures westward with her father, an accomplished navigator and celebrated explorer.

Their journey leads them to the fabled Isle of Pines, where they establish a new existence amongst an eclectic band of fellow adventurers. However, the island's dense woodlands conceal mysteries of their own. As the eastern peril that forced Kaly's flight eventually tracks her down, she discovers herself trapped between two forces: the known evil from her homeland and a darker presence hidden deep within the ancient forests.

Dunwell crafts a narrative that transports readers to a distant, primitive world whilst revealing surprisingly contemporary human truths. His vivid characters embody universal qualities that span millennia—affection, terror, desire, competition, and integrity.

The Author: Born in England in 1969, Ben Dunwell spent considerable years as a lyricist working with composer Will Todd. Since 2014, he has resided in San Juan, Ibiza, with his family. This represents his inaugural novel.

Book Description: "Voyage and Discovery" by Conor O'Brien

This remarkable travel memoir, originally published in 1933 and largely forgotten for nine decades, stands as the first English-language book about Ibiza. O'Brien's account captures the island as it existed in 1932, offering an invaluable historical snapshot.

The restored edition includes O'Brien's previously unpublished work 'The Corsairs of Iviza', alongside editorial enhancements: preface, footnotes, glossary, and index. Sixty illustrations accompany the text, including eleven full-page images by Katharine Clausen.

Edited by Martin Davies and published by William Blackwood & Sons Ltd., this rediscovered classic launched in Spanish translation (Viaje y descubrimiento, translated by Eva María Ríos Castillo) at Sa Nostra Sala, Ibiza Town, December 2023.

Publisher: Barbary Press, Ibiza

Available in English and Spanish editions

About the Author: Ben Dunwell was born in England in 1969 and worked for many years as a lyricist alongside composer Will Todd. In 2014, he relocated to Ibiza, where he continues to live with his family in San Juan. "Isla de Pinos" marks his first novel.