'Norm has lived in Norman his whole life. It's where he grew up with his dad, where he went to school and met his best friend Ella. But the town is dying - the river has dried up, and with it all the jobs.
'One night at the pub, on the anniversary of his dad's death, Norm announces a plan. He's going to build a Big Thing - like Coffs Harbour's Big Banana or Ballina's Big Prawn - to drive tourism to the town and give it a future. And to show Ella that she could have a future here too, maybe even with him.
'Ella, meanwhile, plans to leave Norman for the big smoke. She's tired of being a big fish in a small pond, especially when that pond is running out of water.
'Ella encourages Norm's big idea nonetheless. If it works, Norm will have a four-metre-high reminder of her. And if not, at least they'll have one last perfect summer together.' (Production summary)
'If you could build a Big Thing in your town, what would it be? Australia has a lot of Big Things — the Big Banana, The Big Merino, The Big Prawn — but in comedian James Colley’s debut novel The Next Big Thing, Norm believes building one will save his town. From the moment we are introduced to Norm while he chases an out-of-control trolley with a dog inside, the reader knows they are in for a fun and hilarious adventure. Any novel that starts with an old dog called Puppy in a broken trolley is bound to be packed with humour and quirky elements, and The Next Big Thing doesn’t disappoint.' (Introduction)
'Easy beach read romcom is quintessentially Australian in flavour.'
'Easy beach read romcom is quintessentially Australian in flavour.'
'If you could build a Big Thing in your town, what would it be? Australia has a lot of Big Things — the Big Banana, The Big Merino, The Big Prawn — but in comedian James Colley’s debut novel The Next Big Thing, Norm believes building one will save his town. From the moment we are introduced to Norm while he chases an out-of-control trolley with a dog inside, the reader knows they are in for a fun and hilarious adventure. Any novel that starts with an old dog called Puppy in a broken trolley is bound to be packed with humour and quirky elements, and The Next Big Thing doesn’t disappoint.' (Introduction)
