Thames Sewage Crisis Sparks Young Adult Novel with Environmental Mission
In a creative response to the ongoing environmental scandal plaguing Britain's waterways, author Craig Taylor has channeled personal frustration into fiction with his new young adult novel Floaters. Writing under the pen name C M Taylor, the author draws directly from his experiences as a regular canoeist on the River Thames, where sewage discharges have transformed from occasional incidents into systemic failures.
From Personal Outrage to Literary Action
The novel's premise emerges from Taylor's own family story. For years, Taylor and his two daughters enjoyed swimming in the Thames near their Oxfordshire home, until citizen science networks revealed the alarming frequency of sewage releases into their beloved waterway. "There's a very active environmental network doing citizen science in our area and that's really helped educate us about the declining water quality," Taylor explained, describing how this education transformed their relationship with the river.
Floaters follows a group of teenagers whose favorite swimming spot becomes contaminated by oozing sewage, launching them on what the author describes as a "coming-of-age revenge caper." The narrative offers what real-life campaigners have yet to achieve: satisfying comeuppance for polluting water companies and negligent government oversight.
Charitable Commitment and Symbolic Publishing
In a significant commitment to environmental causes, Taylor has pledged that 50% of all profits from the book's initial limited edition will be donated to Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), the conservation and campaign charity working for cleaner waterways across the United Kingdom. The first publication run holds particular symbolic value, with exactly 215 copies printed—one for each mile of the River Thames.
"It just seemed a cute conceit to restrict the number of copies to 215, one for each mile of the river," said Taylor, while acknowledging ongoing debates about the Thames' exact length. "Although there are ongoing fights about where the source of the Thames is so I'm sure some purists will argue that it's actually 218 miles long."
Cultural Currents and Political Timing
The novel arrives during what SAS calls a "once-in-a-generation" opportunity to influence UK water quality policy. With the water reform bill scheduled for parliamentary introduction in July, alongside government consultations on bathing water regulations, environmental offence sanctions, and river basin management plans, the timing couldn't be more relevant.
Taylor's work reflects a broader cultural shift as water pollution enters mainstream consciousness. Two years ago, Channel 4's documentary Joe Lycett vs Sewage brought comedian activism to the issue, while from February 23, the broadcaster will air Dirty Business, a three-part drama revealing the true story of pollution and cover-up by England's water companies.
Just as ITV's Bafta-winning Mr Bates vs the Post Office revived public interest in that scandal, clean water campaigners hope 2024 might bring similar momentum to their cause. "I've been thinking about sewage for a long time and I've been wanting to write something set on a river," Taylor revealed. "And I love capers—there are lots of stories that are heists, but there are not enough capers."
Broader Environmental Narrative
The book represents how water company pollution—and the executive bonuses that continue despite environmental violations—are increasingly permeating popular culture. Through fiction, Taylor joins a growing chorus of voices demanding accountability for Britain's deteriorating waterways, transforming personal disappointment into creative contribution with tangible benefits for environmental advocacy.
