In this bold and haunting anthology, 21 of Australia’s finest writers take a creative plunge into the song-book of Nick Cave, from the raw post-punk era to his more reflective later work. What emerges are stories steeped in faith and violence, love and loss, myth and the everyday. From a vengeful Uber driver and a girl desperate to save a failing greyhound, to an automaton of Nick Cave himself, each tale reimagines a lyric and builds a narrative all its own.
Edited by Kirsten Krauth (with curators Neil A. White & Mark Smith), this collection invites readers to listen with new ears and read with fresh eyes. The book stands as much a celebration of Cave’s lyrical power as an exploration of how song can seed story.
Highlights:
• Format: Paperback
• Publisher & Publication Date: Fremantle Press, 2023
• Genre & Tone: Short-story anthology; literary, dark, music-infused
• Page Count: 288 pages
• ISBN: 978 1760992781
For fans of: Anna Faris (just kidding, but you will enjoy this if you like), in seriousness: Aussie writers such as Toni Jordan and Tony Birch (both contributors), and internationally: the music-inflected fiction of Haruki Murakami, the atmospheric intensity of Gillian Flynn, or the genre-bending storytelling of Ray Bradbury (okay, old school).