Awards

• Short-listed for Dobbie Literary Award for a first time published author 2015
• Short-listed for NSW Premier's Literary Awards 2015
• Short-listed for Victorian Premier's Literary Awards 2015
• Winner of Stella Book Award 2015
• Winner of Stella Prize 2015

Overview

On her first day at a new school, Lily befriends one of the daughters of infamous avant-garde painter Evan Trentham. He and his wife are trying to escape the stifling conservatism of 1930s Australia by inviting other like-minded artists to live and work at their family home. Lily becomes infatuated with this wild, makeshift family and longs to truly be a part of it. As the years pass, Lily observes the way the lives of these artists come to reflect the same themes as their art: Faustian bargains and spectacular falls from grace. Yet it’s not Evan, but his own daughters, who pay the price for his radicalism.

Full Product Details

9781489375186

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Reviews

'You could lift out any sentence in The Strays and admire the sheer artistry of its melody and composition. What s especially wonderful about Bitto s literary novel is the story never feels weighed down by style. It s an immensely pleasurable read.' -- Bookseller + Publisher 'Emily Bitto has written a very stylish and enjoyable debut novel.' -- The Sunday Mail

Author Information

Emily Bitto lives in Melbourne. She has a Masters in Literary Studies and a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Melbourne. Her writing has appeared in various publications, including Meanjin, Island, HEAT, the Age, the Saturday Paper and The Sydney Morning Herald. The manuscript of her debut novel, The Strays was shortlisted for the 2013 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript, and the published novel went on to win the 2015 Stella Prize. It was also shortlisted for The Indie Book Award for Debut Fiction, the NSW Premier’s Prize for New Writing and the Dobbie Literary Award, and longlisted for the Dublin IMPAC prize. Vanessa Coffey is an experienced audiobook narrator who has read several of Pinky McKay's parenting audiobooks, in addition to Kelly Rimmer's The Secret Daughter, and The Strays by Emily Bitto.

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