100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ

Enjoy overnight NZ-wide delivery on in-stock orders πŸš€

Banjawarn

Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Banjawarn follows Garreth Hoyle, a true crime writer battling a destructive addiction to hallucinogenic drugs, as he journeys through the harsh mallee desert of Western Australia. His plans are derailed when he finds an abandoned ten-year-old girl and chooses to return her to her estranged father rather than involve the authorities. This decision sparks a turbulent road trip through the scorched northern goldfields, exploring themes of love, friendship, hope, and the complex pursuit of forgiveness amid buried pasts.

Winner of several prestigious awards, including the WA Premier's Prize for an Emerging Writer 2023, this unsettling debut novel offers a darkly humorous and gothic narrative, evoking the styles of Cormac McCarthy, Randolph Stow, and Tim Winton.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$3799
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This novel will appeal to readers interested in atmospheric Australian general fiction, especially those who appreciate gothic storytelling and richly drawn characters set against rugged landscapes. Fans of dark, reflective narratives with themes of redemption and the complexities of human relationships will find Banjawarn compelling.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

**Winner, WA Premier's Prize for an Emerging Writer 2023**

**Winner, Dorothy Hewett Award for an Unpublished Manuscript 2021**

**Winner, Ned Kelly Award for Best Debut Crime Fiction 2022**

Garreth Hoyle is a true crime writer whose destructive love affair with hallucinogenic drugs has sent him searching for ghosts in the unforgiving mallee desert of Western Australia. Heading north through Kalgoorlie, he attempts to score off old friends from his shearing days on Banjawarn Station. His journey takes an unexpected detour when he discovers an abandoned ten-year-old girl and decides to return her to her estranged father in Leonora, instead of alerting authorities. Together they begin the road trip from hell through the scorched heart of the state's northern goldfields.

Love, friendship and hope are often found in the strangest places, but forgiveness is never simple, and the past lies buried just beneath the blood red topsoil. The only question is whether Hoyle should uncover it, or run as fast as his legs can take him.

Banjawarn is an unsettling debut from Josh Kemp, winner of the 2021 Dorothy Hewett Award for an Unpublished Manuscript. Echoing Cormac McCarthy's haunting border trilogy and narrative vernacular that recalls the sparse lyricism of Randolph Stow and Tim Winton, this is a darkly funny novel that earns its place amongst the stable of Australian gothic fiction.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781760802141

Publisher: UWA Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 15 February 2022

Country: Australia

Imprint: UWA Publishing

Illustration: Illustrations

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 0g

Pages: 500

About the Author

Joshua Kemp is an author of Australian Gothic fiction. His short stories have been published by Kill Your Darlings, Overland, Seizure, Tincture and Breach. He's previously been shortlisted for the Kill Your Darlings Unpublished Manuscript Award and longlisted for the Fogarty Literary Award. Currently doing his PhD at Edith Cowan University in Bunbury, he lives in the South West but is drawn, over and over again, the red dirt of WA's north.

Also by Josh Kemp

View all

More from General Fiction

View all

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 80,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.