Gerald Murnane’s litmus test for a story’s worth was whether it leaves an enduring image upon the mind. By this metric, Gregory Day’s The Bell of the World seared me like a branding iron. Taking place in the early 20th century in post-federation, colonial Australia, the novel follows Sarah, a young woman living an unsettled existence after […]

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‘The writing pulses across the page, electric with images and style. It moves between interior monologues, straight narrative, and poetic descriptions with ease, incorporating Australian slang, Swahili, Bantu, and even made-up language explanations. The characters occupy a rich linguistic landscape—and there are a lot of them, all drawn with fine detail and precision: a pair […]

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