The Drowner

The Drowner
	First edition
Author	Robert Drewe
Language	English
Genre	novel
Publisher	Pan Macmillan, Australia
Publication date	1996
Publication place	Australia
Media type	Print (hardback & paperback)
Pages	329
ISBN	0732908582
Preceded by	Our Sunshine
Followed by	Grace

Last updated June 07, 2025

The Drowner (1996) is a novel by Australian author Robert Drewe.^[1]

Plot summary

In the late 19th century an Englishman irrigator or "drowner", Will Dance, utilises ancient water-knowledge and modern technology to save a drought-ridden town in Western Australia.

Reviews

Publishers' Weekly noted: "The desert mining town,..., comes fully to life, invigorated by crisp and moving portrayals of Drewe's minor characters and the monotonous beauty of the hostile (blessedly arid) countryside."^[2]
Garth Crawford in Woroni stated: "In his mastery of image, and spare but beautiful descriptions of this quest, Drewe reveals his strongest claim to pre-eminence. The Drowner is by an author who enjoys words, weighs and places each without mistaking linguistic asceticism for aestheticism."^[3]

Awards and nominations

1997 winner New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards — Christina Stead Prize for Fiction^[4]
1997 winner New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards — Book of the Year^[4]
1997 shortlisted Commonwealth Writer's Prize — South East Asia and South Pacific Region - Best First Novel
1997 winner Vance Palmer Prize for Fiction^[5]
1998 winner Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature ^[6]
1998 winner Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature — Premier's Award for the Best Overall Published Work^[6]

Notes

A film adaptation of the novel was reportedly arranging funding in 2010,^[7] and was in pre-production in 2013. It was to be directed by Jeff Darling from a screenplay by Justin Monjo, and produced by Michael Boughen and Matthew Street and production company Ambience Entertainment.

References

↑ "The Drowner by Robert Drewe". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
↑ "The Drowner, Robert Drewe, author", Publishers' Weekly
↑ "The Drowner - Robert Drewe" by Garth Crawford, Woroni, 10 October 1996
1 2 ""Novelist Drewe carries off a big prize at last"". Sydney Morning Herald, 18 September 1997. ProQuest 363360979 . Retrieved 3 July 2024.
↑ ""The Vance Palmer Prize for Fiction 1997-1999"". Austlit. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
1 2 "Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature – Past Literary Award Winners". State Library of South Australia. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
↑ ""Film in vogue as investment option"". The West Australian, 20 March 2010. Retrieved 3 July 2024.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] "The Drowner by Robert Drewe". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 3 July 2024.

[2] "The Drowner, Robert Drewe, author", Publishers' Weekly

[3] "The Drowner - Robert Drewe" by Garth Crawford, Woroni, 10 October 1996

[NSWPLA1997-4] 1 2 ""Novelist Drewe carries off a big prize at last"". Sydney Morning Herald, 18 September 1997. ProQuest 363360979 . Retrieved 3 July 2024.

[5] ""The Vance Palmer Prize for Fiction 1997-1999"". Austlit. Retrieved 3 July 2024.

[SLSA-6] 1 2 "Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature – Past Literary Award Winners". State Library of South Australia. Retrieved 3 July 2024.

[7] ""Film in vogue as investment option"". The West Australian, 20 March 2010. Retrieved 3 July 2024.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

v t e New South Wales Premier's Prize for Fiction
1979-1989	An Imaginary Life by David Malouf (1979) War Crimes by Peter Carey (1980) The Impersonators by Jessica Anderson (1981) Bliss by Peter Carey (1982) The Cure by Peter Kocan (1983) Milk by Beverley Farmer (1984) Milk and Honey by Elizabeth Jolley (1985) Postcards from Surfers by Helen Garner (1986) Dancing on Coral by Glenda Adams (1987) Final Things by John Sligo (1988) Broken Words by Helen Hodgman (1989)
1990-1999	Reaching Tin River by Thea Astley (1990) JF Was Here by Nigel Krauth (1991) The Death of Napoleon by Simon Leys (1992) Remembering Babylon by David Malouf (1993) Seasonal Adjustments by Adib Khan (1994) Just Like That by Lily Brett (1995) Leaning Towards Infinity by Sue Woolfe (1996) The Drowner by Robert Drewe (1997) No award (1998) Mr. Darwin's Shooter by Roger McDonald (1999)
2000-2009	The Salt of Broken Tears by Michael Meehan (2000) Conditions of Faith by Alex Miller (2001) Dirt Music by Tim Winton (2002) Moral Hazard by Kate Jennings (2003) Shanghai Dancing by Brian Castro (2004) The Turning by Tim Winton (2005) The Secret River by Kate Grenville (2006) Theft: A Love Story by Peter Carey (2007) The Lost Dog by Michelle de Kretser (2008) The Good Parents by Joan London (2009)
2010-2019	Summertime by J. M. Coetzee (2010) Lovesong by Alex Miller (2011) That Deadman Dance by Kim Scott (2012) Mateship with Birds by Carrie Tiffany (2013) Questions of Travel by Michelle de Kretser (2014) The Snow Kimono by Mark Henshaw (2015) Locust Girl: A Lovesong by Merlinda Bobis (2016) The Museum of Modern Love by Heather Rose (2017) The Book of Dirt by Bram Presser (2018) The Life to Come by Michelle de Kretser (2019)
2020–present	The Yield by Tara June Winch (2020) A Room Made of Leaves by Kate Grenville (2021) Dark as Last Night by Tony Birch (2022) Women I Know by Katerina Gibson (2023) The Sitter by Angela O'Keeffe (2024) Highway 13 by Fiona McFarlane (2025)

v t e Victorian Premier's Prize for Fiction
1985-1989	Antipodes by David Malouf (1985) Illywhacker by Peter Carey (1986) Second Sight by Janine Burke (1987) Holden's Performance by Murray Bail (1988) Captivity Captive by Rodney Hall (1989)
1990-1999	Oceana Fine by Tom Flood (1990) Still Murder by Finola Moorhead (1991) Double-Wolf by Brian Castro (1992) After China by Brian Castro (1993) What I Have Written by John A. Scott (1994) Dark Places by Kate Grenville (1995) Camille's Bread by Amanda Lohrey (1996) The Drowner by Robert Drewe (1997) The Sound of One Hand Clapping by Richard Flanagan (1998) Mr. Darwin's Shooter by Roger McDonald (1999)
2000-2009	Out of Ireland by Christopher Koch (2000) True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey (2001) Gould's Book of Fish: A Novel in Twelve Fish by Richard Flanagan (2002) Shanghai Dancing by Brian Castro (2003) Slow Water by Annamarie Jagose (2004) Surrender by Sonya Hartnett (2005) Theft: A Love Story by Peter Carey (2006) Carpentaria by Alexis Wright (2007) The Spare Room by Helen Garner (2008) The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas (2009)
2010-2019	Truth by Peter Temple (2010) That Deadman Dance by Tim Scott (2011) Foal's Bread by Gillian Mears (2012) Coal Creek by Alex Miller (2014) To Name Those Lost by Rohan Wilson (2015) The World Without Us by Mireille Juchau (2016) Between a Wolf and a Dog by Georgia Blain (2017) Australia Day by Melanie Cheng (2018) The Madonna of the Mountains by Elise Valmorbida (2019)
2020–present	Damascus by Christos Tsiolkas (2020) The Animals in That Country by Laura Jean McKay (2021) Smokehouse by Melissa Manning (2022) Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au (2023) Edenglassie by Melissa Lucashenko (2024) Highway 13 by Fiona McFarlane (2025)