{"title":"Wayne Macauley","description":"\u003cp\u003eWelcome to the intriguing world of \u003cem\u003eWayne Macauley\u003c\/em\u003e, a celebrated Australian author known for his profound storytelling and distinctive style. With a knack for weaving narratives that delve into the human condition, Macauley's works offer readers thought-provoking experiences wrapped in masterful prose.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eExplore his collection starting with \u003cem\u003eBlueprints for a Barbed-Wire Canoe\u003c\/em\u003e, a compelling tale that blends satire and social commentary as it examines the Australian dream. If you are drawn to stories with layers of meaning and depth, you'll find this novel a captivating read.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eDemons\u003c\/em\u003e, Macauley takes readers on a journey through the dark corners of the psyche, exploring themes of ambition and artistic integrity. This novel is perfect for those who appreciate a deeper look at the struggles between personal ambition and ethical dilemmas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSimpson Returns\u003c\/em\u003e offers a contemplative examination of history and identity, presented through the journey of the titular character. Readers who cherish narratives that question and redefine the past will find this book both engaging and enlightening.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSome Tests\u003c\/em\u003e explores the uncertainties and anxieties of modern life with a unique narrative style that invites introspection. Ideal for anyone seeking fiction that challenges conventional storytelling with an inventive approach.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLastly, \u003cem\u003eThe Cook\u003c\/em\u003e serves up a story that simmers with themes of power and the culinary arts. As it delves into the complexities of food and control, this novel is a feast for those who savour character-driven stories that stir both the heart and mind.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWayne Macauley’s works brilliantly traverse themes that are both universally relatable and uniquely thought-provoking. Dive into his world of general fiction where every story offers not just a tale, but a reflection on life itself.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"blueprints-for-a-barbed-wire-canoe-by-wayne-macauley-9781922079114","title":"Blueprints for a Barbed-Wire Canoe","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBram and his fellow residents are drawn by a dream: the promise of a freeway leading to a new suburb north of the city. The houses are built, but the freeway never comes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOne by one, the dreamers leave, until only a small, hardcore group is left — including Bram, One-eyed Michael, and Michael's self-possessed daughter Jodie.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs the disused houses crumble around them, they barricade themselves in. They have a gun, a bulldozer, and a hellbent determination to stay till the end, whatever, whenever, that is. But the authorities have other ideas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBlueprints for a Barbed-Wire Canoe\u003c\/em\u003e is a bitingly dark take on the great Australian dream. Fable-like, effortlessly readable, and ultimately moving, it shows us in full measure the depth of Macauley's talent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46670251360492,"sku":"9781922079114","price":24.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9202263482872.jpg?v=1752765271"},{"product_id":"demons-by-wayne-macauley-9781922147363","title":"Demons","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe absorbing new novel from the critically-acclaimed author of \u003cem\u003eThe Cook\u003c\/em\u003e (Quercus, 2013).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt is the middle of winter. Seven friends travel to a remote coastal beach house for the weekend. Without phones, internet or television, they sit around the fireplace, telling stories—each exposing the foibles of humankind. But as a storm rolls in and torrential rain cuts the party off from the outside world, it soon becomes clear that some secrets are best kept hidden.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46670498201836,"sku":"9781922147363","price":34.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781922147363.jpg?v=1752789746"},{"product_id":"simpson-returns-by-wayne-macauley-9781925773507","title":"Simpson Returns","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eSimpson Returns\u003c\/i\u003e by Wayne Macauley offers a satirical and surreal twist on the Anzac legend of Simpson and his donkey.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNinety years after they were thought to have died heroically in the Great War, the stretcher-bearer Simpson and his donkey journey through country Victoria, performing minor miracles and surviving on offerings left at war memorials. They are making their twenty-ninth, and perhaps final, attempt to find the country's famed Inland Sea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOn the road north from Melbourne, Simpson and his weary donkey encounter a broke single mother, a suicidal Vietnam veteran, a refugee who has lost everything, an abused teenager and a deranged ex-teacher. These are society's downtrodden, whom Simpson believes can be renewed by the healing waters of the sea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eSimpson Returns\u003c\/i\u003e, Wayne Macauley sticks a pin in the balloon of our national myth. A concise satire of Australian platitudes about fairness and egalitarianism, it is timely, devastating and witheringly funny.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46671410299116,"sku":"9781925773507","price":22.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/18060403482873.jpg?v=1752816646"},{"product_id":"some-tests-by-wayne-macauley-9781925355932","title":"Some Tests","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt begins with the normally healthy Beth—aged-care worker, wife of David, and mother of Lettie and Gem—feeling vaguely off-colour. A locum sends her to Dr Yi for some tests. \"There are a few things here that aren't quite right,\" says Dr Yi, \"and sometimes it is these little wrongnesses that can lead us to the bigger wrongs that matter.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBeth is sent on to Dr Twoomey for more tests, then to another specialist, and another. Referral after referral sees her bumped from suburb to suburb, bewildered, joining busloads of people all clutching white envelopes and hoping for answers. But what is actually wrong with Beth—is anything, in fact, wrong with her? And what strange forces are at work in the system?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs the novel reaches its stunning climax, we realise how strange these forces are. Unnerving and brilliant, \u003cem\u003eSome Tests\u003c\/em\u003e is about waking up one morning and finding your ordinary life changed forever.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46671456665836,"sku":"9781925355932","price":34.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/13884653482873.jpg?v=1752817769"},{"product_id":"the-cook-by-wayne-macauley-9781921758690","title":"The Cook","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePower through service, says Head Chef. It's one of the first lessons taught at Cook School, where troubled youths learn to be master chefs by bowing to decadence and whim, by offering up a part of themselves on every plate. It's a motto Zac takes to heart.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA teenage boy with a difficult past, he throws himself into the world and work of haute cuisine. He has dreams of a future, of escaping the dead-end, no-hope lot of his fellow cooks. He wants to be the greatest chef the world has seen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHe thinks he's taken his first steps when he becomes House Cook for a wealthy family. Never mind that the family may seem less than appreciative. Or refined. Or deserving. Power through service.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut as the facade crumbles and his promised future looks unlikely to eventuate, Zac the Cook is forced to reassess everything. Sweet turns sour and ends in bitter revenge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBlackly funny and deliciously satirical, \u003cem\u003eThe Cook\u003c\/em\u003e feeds our hunger to know what goes on in the kitchen, while skewering our culture of food worship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46671846015212,"sku":"9781921758690","price":34.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/5998023482872.jpg?v=1752826562"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/wayne-macauley.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}