Cirrus@Austlit

Judge's report : Victorian Premier's Literary Award 2015 : It’s appropriate that this exceptional work is prefaced by lines from Homer’s The Odyssey; it is a modern epic, utterly timely yet transcendent of its historical moment. Developed through extensive collaboration with Australian soldiers who have been deployed across the globe, The Long Way Home skilfully re-articulates their experiences in a dazzling succession of very memorable vignettes. It is not polemic, but neither is it apolitical. To muster the levels of compassion demanded by this project itself requires great and unflinching bravery, and Keene has risen to the task admirably. There are neither heroes nor villains in this telling, but the gradual accretion of intimate moments produces an expansive tapestry illustrating the ways in which vast power structures shape all of our lives.