‘Truly joyful’ account of living on a barge bought by The History Press
The History Press has bought Argy-Bargy: Our Adventurous Year Living on a Barge by author and journalist Hunter Davies, an account of his “impulse decision, at the age of 89, to buy and live with his partner Miranda on a 30m-long Dutch barge built in 1898, and the chaos that ensued”.
Commissioning editor Amy Rigg acquired world English-language rights from Olivia Davies and Robert Kirby at United Agents, for publication in July 2027.
The description reads: “Full of the dramatic goings on of living afloat, [the memoir] discusses everything from buying the barge, second thoughts, fitting it out and moving in, the harbour folks they got to know, crafts and history, and their respective ‘yachtie’ experiences (or lack of them, in Hunter’s case), as the author and his partner embraced a whole new way of life, whether they wanted to or not!”
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Rigg said: “Hunter Davies tells a great story, and his entertaining memoir will be a delightful summer read that charts the ups and downs of his and Miranda’s life on their barge. Miranda had some previous experience of life on the water as she once helped build a trimaran and sailed the Atlantic, but Hunter’s mix of inexperience and boundless enthusiasm make for a truly joyful combination.”
Davies said: “What was I thinking of? Pure fantasy, of course. Do something different before it is too late. So, what happened? I never did a survey, bought the barge on a whim, and over winter everything went wrong. Hence all the argy-bargying. But when summer came it was bliss, so much fun, so many interesting new people, so much drama and activity, so many types of boats and birds and fish to watch from up on the wheelhouse or on the massive 100 feet long deck, big enough to hold parties of 80 with live music, dancing and shanty bands. Such fun!”
