"Immediately after our wedding, I joined my husband on a six month long voyage in an oil tanker - the perfect opportunity for me to begin my lessons..."

Though it didn't take long for her to give up the pre-dawn watch, author Susmita Bhattacharya's epic journey opened her eyes to the world. Still, it was learning the language of her new family that made her realise she was home. A glorious tale about language, literature and love.

Susmita Bhattacharya was born in Mumbai and sailed the world on oil tankers before settling down in the UK. She is an associate lecturer at Winchester University and leads the SO:Write Young Writers workshops in Southampton. Her debut novel, The Normal State of Mind (Parthian), was published in 2015. Her short stories, essays and poems have been widely published and also broadcast on BBC Radio 4. She won the Winchester Writers Festival Memoir prize in 2016. She lives in Winchester with her family. @Susmitatweets