Cirrus@Austlit

'Griffith Review presents its annual showcase of the country's leading writers of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. The Light Ascending features new work from Holly Ringland, Julienne van Loon, Mirandi Riwoe, Allanah Hunt, Krissy Kneen and Pat Hoffie, as well as inspiring new work from Australia's leading poets.

'The residents of a seaside town find their dreams perturbed after a young woman serves them candies at the local market; an Aboriginal family is forced to deal with the consequences of the death of a loved one in custody; the model for a celebrated canvas by Paul Gauguin reveals the harsh undertone of exploitation behind the artist's work; a woman experiencing a post-accident coma ebbs back and forth through the currents of her life.

'Edited by Ashley Hay, Griffith Review 66: The Light Ascending – The Novella Project VII presents new work that challenges, celebrates, questions and critiques.' 

'This stunning story collection includes two prize-winning novellas along with an impressive range of historical and contemporary stories, all written by characters who yearn to belong and find acceptance.

'From the award-winning author of Stone Sky Gold Mountain come these superbly crafted stories that explore the inner lives of those who are often ignored or misunderstood.

'We follow a migrant mother who yearns to feel welcomed at a kids' party in a local park; a young skateboarder caught between showing loyalty and being accepted; and an Indonesian maid working far from home who longs for the son she's left behind. Bookending this collection are two stunning novellas: Annah the Javanese re-imagines the world of one of Paul Gauguin's models in nineteenth-century Paris, while the highly acclaimed The Fish Girl reworks a classic W Somerset Maugham story from the perspective of a young Indonesian woman.

'With rich emotional insight and a light touch, these wide-ranging stories reveal hidden desires and human fragility.' (Publication summary)