On a tiny lighthouse island far from the rest of the world, a hermit lives out his existence. Every week a supply boat leaves provisions, yet the fishermen never leave their boat, and never meet him. Years spent on this deserted rock, with imagination his sole companion, has made the lighthouse keeper something more than alone, something else entirely. For him, what lies beyond the horizon might be... nothing. And so, why would you ever want to leave? But, one day, as curiosity gets the better of him, a new boatman steps onto the island. Intertwining tenderness, despair, and humour, Alone captures how someone can be an everyman, and every man is someone.

Christophe Chabouté was born in Alsace and studied Fine Arts at Angoulême and then Strasbourg. He is the author of many books, including The Park Bench (2017), his UK debut.