TARKA THE OTTER

Tarka the His Joyful Water-Life and Death in the Country of the Two Rivers is a novel by English writer Henry Williamson. It won the Hawthornden Prize in 1928, and has never been out of print since its first publication. The novel describes the life of an otter, along with a detailed observation of its habitat in the country of the River Taw and River Torridge in North Devon (the "Two Rivers"); the name "Tarka" is said by Williamson to mean "Wandering as Water" (p. 10). Although not written for children, the book soon became popular with young readers, and also has influenced literary figures as diverse as Ted Hughes and Rachel Carson.