Please see below our collection of NT book reviews.
A Portrait of Alice as a Young Man
Ender Başkan
Vre Books, 2019
Review by Fiona Dorrell
A Portrait of Alice as a Young Man follows two friends as they journey from Melbourne to Alice Springs for the first time. From Uluru through to Pigglys’ carpark, to Honeymoon Gap and the backyards of Eastside, this book relays a few immersive weeks in a small and intimate community. It brings an artist’s curiousity, delight, and sense of enquiry to the task. (more…)
The Art of Dust
Mel A Rowe
Review by Shona Ford
The Art of Dust by Territory author Mel A Rowe is, in her own words, ‘a love letter to the unique individuals who continue to shape the Northern Territory’. She isn’t wrong. From the well-meaning meddlers of small dusty towns, to the pet buffalo-come-notice board that meanders through the main street, everything about her novel rings with Territory charm. This rural romance has a heart that beats beyond the connection between the main characters. It celebrates the soul of a community and the steadfast nature of our dedication to family.
Trouble: On Trial in Central Australia
By Kieran Finnane
UQP, 2016
Review by Sally Bothroyd
Alcohol, violence – and the interconnectedness of the two – are at the heart of this unflinching portrait of Alice Springs, told via a number of criminal trials.
As a journalist, Kieran Finnane has no doubt spent hundreds of hours in courtrooms, watching the mundane bureaucracy of the justice system, alongside the stories of utter tragedy.
Mandatory Murder
Steven Schubert
HarperCollins, 2019
Review by Kingsley Gittins
STEVEN SCHUBERT’S MANDATORY MURDER examines in great detail the scenario which led to the 2011 murder of Ray Nicefero down the track in Katherine. The former ABC Katherine reporter, now based in Alice Springs, systematically separates fact from rumour and highlights supposition with the careful ease of a practiced journalist. (more…)
Cheeky Dogs: To Lake Nash and Back
Cheeky Dogs: To Lak
e Nash and Back
Dion Beasley and Johanna Bell
Allen & Unwin Children’s, 2019
Review by Kingsley Gittins
Cheeky Dogs: To Lake Nash And Back is a fascinating visual journey into the heart of life in rural parts of the Northern Territory.
Malediction: The Cursed Play
Malediction: The Cursed Play
Sean Guy
Self-published, 2018
Review by Kingsley Gittins
Sean Guy’s novel, Malediction: The Cursed Play, is an engaging and well-written tribute to all things Shakespeare. The story takes the form of a reverse whodunnit, where the actors in a cursed play are all alive, but they’re convinced the curse will take one of their number before the performance is complete. (more…)
