Contemporary artist and Kamilaroi man Reko Rennie combines his Aboriginal identity with his urban coming of age to take on the major artistic institutions of Australia. By Anna Snoekstra.
'As Iris Renshaw and her twin brother, Floyd, make their way into the unfamiliar terrain of Tasmania’s high country, more than once she reflects that unlocking the sights surrounding them requires specialist knowledge. The rich canvas of life all around is only apparent “if you’re paying attention”. Others describe the country as “harsh, desolate” but Iris feels a “freeing, lung-emptying openness”. The painful twist of her brother’s spine – the relic of an old injury – is only apparent “if you knew where to look”.' (Introduction)
'“Aging is a mess,” declares the protagonist of Brian Castro’s 10th novel, Chinese Postman. Abraham Quin is a 74-year-old literary professor who lives on his property in the Adelaide Hills with his dogs, his memories, the ghosts of three failed marriages and nightmares of shitting himself in public. He talks, he muses in the novel’s opening pages, mostly to himself.' (Introduction)
'Alex Miller’s 14th novel, The Deal, is “a true story in four parts”. How much of it is autobiographical is a question only the author can answer, but there are hints for readers who know his life and work.' (Introduction)
