AUSTRALIAN FICTION
Damascus | Christos Tsiolkas | $32.99 | Allen & Unwin This may not be the kind of novel you’d expect from Christos Tsiolkas if you’ve read The Slap and Barracuda, but it is no less replete with the themes significant to him as a writer. In a stunning and epic historical masterpiece, Tsiolkas explores the life of St. Paul and the world of the Roman empire following the death of Jesus. You can’t help but be struck by the figure of Paul and his faith, which is never unwavering but always accompanied by an underlying doubt. Tsiolkas offers a picture of a time which in many ways is different to ours but in many ways is also uncomfortably familiar. All of a sudden it doesn’t feel like we are so far distant from crucifixions and death by lion when we still uphold imaginary borders, ostracise “Strangers” and allow politics to divide us from our most human sensibilities. A fantastic read. — Lucy H.
Red Can Origami | Madelaine Dickie | $29.99 | Fremantle Press Red Can Origami, the second novel by Australian author Madelaine Dickie, tells a familiar story that hits close to home for many; an international company clashing with locals. Dickie takes the difficult, unwieldy subject matter and skilfully brings it down to a personal level. We see the events through the eyes of Ava, a young reporter working in the northern Australian town of Gubinge. When a Japanese uranium mining company pleads the economic benefits of mining native land, it tears the community in half. From the neon streets of Tokyo to the fishing holes of northern Australia, we follow Ava as she pursues the story. A wonderful contemporary fiction novel from a talented author. I look forward to what Dickie has for us next. — Sanjo
Maybe the Horse Will Talk | Elliot Perlman | $32.99 | Penguin Random House Witty and wordy, Perlman’s social commentary on toxic workplace culture is on point. In a humorous swipe at today’s society Perlman presents us with Stephen Maserov, a flailing second-year lawyer who takes on his firm Freely Savage’s deep-seated culture of sexual harassment and exposes it to rescue his own desperately dwindling home life. Enjoyable in the smart choice of language and one to gobble up as the pages fly by, this contemporary tale features a range of familiar urban characters committed to jobs they don’t even like. Perlman’s stroke of genius is his ability to describe the psychology of these characters trapped in a day-to-day work life where the safe spot is buying yourself a little more time. Funny, smart and deeply satisfying, this contemporary, urban shake-down really hits the spot. — Dean
New Australian Fiction 2019 | Ed. Rebecca Starford | $24.95 | Kill Your Darlings I love short stories. Like a picture book, there is such an art to drawing your reader into a world, and making them feel something with only a limited amount of space. Kill Your Darlings’ publication, New Australian Fiction 2019 certainly doesn’t disappoint in that department. Featuring some of Australia’s most exciting contemporary voices, this collection shows the rich range of diversity in Australian letters, and touches on all areas of contemporary life, society and politics. Ranging from eerie speculative stories to frightful tales about the consequences of toxic masculinity, this collection is a compelling showcase of Australian talent. — Lucy H.
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Act of Grace | Anna Krien | $32.99 | Black Inc. I’m a big fan of Krien’s non-fiction, particularly Night Games. Act of Grace is her debut novel, ten years in the making. Krien has skilfully crafted a fluid narrative voice which slips from one perspective to the next, from Australia to Iraq, from the past to the present. We are quickly immersed into the lives of her characters—we are members of their families, participants in their conversations, at the mercy of their decisions. With this narrative Krien explores the terror and trauma of war, the violent ebb and flow of domestic violence, the resilience of immigrants. It is brutal and at times hard to read, but ultimately this novel is startlingly electric and crucially thought-provoking. — Kate
