Join award-winning author David Whish-Wilson to discuss his latest novel, The Sawdust House.
San Francisco, 1856. Irish-born James ‘Yankee’ Sullivan is being held in jail by the Committee of Vigilance, which aims to rout the Australian criminals from the town. As Sullivan’s mistress, seeks his release and as his fellow prisoners are taken away to be hanged, the convict tells a story of triumph and tragedy: of his daring escape from penal servitude in Australia; how he became America’s most celebrated boxer; and how he met the true love of his life.
‘Vivid and ambitious in its storytelling and multi-layered in its thematic interests …’ West Australian
‘Whish-Wilson is a storyteller, there is no greater praise.’ Bruce Pascoe
About David Whish-Wilson:
David Whish-Wilson is the author of eight novels and three creative non-fiction books. He was born in Newcastle, NSW but raised in Singapore, Victoria and WA. He left Australia aged eighteen to live for a decade in Europe, Africa and Asia, where he worked as a barman, actor, streetseller, petty criminal, labourer, exterminator, factory worker, gardener, clerk, travel agent, teacher and drug trial guinea pig.
David’s first novel in the Frank Swann crime series, Line of Sight (Penguin Australia) was shortlisted for a Ned Kelly Award in 2012. He has since written three more in the series – the first three being published in Germany by Suhrkamp Verlag. David wrote the Perth book in the NewSouth Books city series, which was short-listed for a WA Premiers Book Award.
David also teaches in the prison system in Perth and previously in Fiji, where he started the country's first prisoner writing program.
He currently lives in Fremantle, Western Australia with his partner and three kids, where he teaches creative writing at Curtin University.
Event Details
Thursday, 13 October at 6.30pm - 7.30pm
Vincent Library - Lounge
Cost
Free
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Phone: 9273 6097
Email: libadmin@vincent.wa.gov.au