 First edition | |
| Author | Thea Astley |
|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Viking Press, Australia |
Publication date | 1996 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 296 pp |
The Multiple Effects of Rainshadow (1996) is Thea Astley's second to last novel. It won The Age Book of the Year in 1996, and was shortlisted for the 1997 Miles Franklin Award.
The novel is based on a violent event that took place on Palm Island, Queensland (called Doebin in the novel) in 1930, in which the white Superintendent of the settlement, Robert Curry (Brodie in the novel), ran amok, setting fire to buildings and killing his own children in the process. He was eventually shot dead by one of the indigenous inhabitants, Peter Prior (Manny Cooktown in the novel), under orders from the white deputy Superintendent. Astley focuses most of the novel on various white characters who were present on the Island at the time, but intersperses their experiences with briefer passages spoken by the Aboriginal man, Manny Cooktown.
The novel spans a long time period, from 1918 when the settlement was established to 1957 when Aboriginal workers went on a strike, but most of the action takes place after 1930.
Sheridan writes that "the novel underlines the grim repetitions of colonial oppression but also the endurance and resilience of the Aboriginal characters". [1]
It is a multiple point of view novel, with some voices being first person and the rest third person. It's important to note that most of the characters are invented, and all of the names have been changed. The prime narrator is Manny Cooktown: he starts the novel and appears between the various voices providing a commentary on what is happening on the Island as the novel progresses, but he does not conclude the novel. The final voice is authorial.
Postcolonial literature is the literature by people from formerly colonized countries. It exists on all continents except Antarctica. Postcolonial literature often addresses the problems and consequences of the decolonization of a country, especially questions relating to the political and cultural independence of formerly subjugated people, and themes such as racialism and colonialism. A range of literary theory has evolved around the subject. It addresses the role of literature in perpetuating and challenging what postcolonial critic Edward Said refers to as cultural imperialism.
The Miles Franklin Literary Award is an annual literary prize awarded to "a novel which is of the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases". The award was set up according to the will of Miles Franklin (1879–1954), who is best known for writing the Australian classic My Brilliant Career (1901). She bequeathed her estate to fund this award. As of 2016, the award is valued A$60,000.
Thea Beatrice May Astley was an Australian novelist and short story writer. She was a prolific writer who was published for over 40 years from 1958. At the time of her death, she had won more Miles Franklin Awards, Australia's major literary award, than any other writer. As well as being a writer, she taught at all levels of education – primary, secondary and tertiary.
Australian literature is the written or literary work produced in the area or by the people of the Commonwealth of Australia and its preceding colonies. During its early Western history, Australia was a collection of British colonies, therefore, its recognised literary tradition begins with and is linked to the broader tradition of English literature. However, the narrative art of Australian writers has, since 1788, introduced the character of a new continent into literature—exploring such themes as Aboriginality, mateship, egalitarianism, democracy, national identity, migration, Australia's unique location and geography, the complexities of urban living, and "the beauty and the terror" of life in the Australian bush.
Catherine Elizabeth Grenville is an Australian author. She has published fifteen books, including fiction, non-fiction, biography, and books about the writing process. In 2001, she won the Orange Prize for The Idea of Perfection, and in 2006 she won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for The Secret River. The Secret River was also shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.
Strange Objects is a 1990 novel by Australian author Gary Crew.
Hull River Aboriginal Settlement, sometimes incorrectly referred to as Hull River Aboriginal Mission, was an Aboriginal reserve established in 1914, located at the present location of Mission Beach in the Hull River National Park, Queensland, Australia.
The Age Book of the Year Awards were annual literary awards presented by Melbourne's The Age newspaper. The awards were first presented in 1974. After 1998, they were presented as part of the Melbourne Writers Festival. Initially, two awards were given, one for fiction, the other for non-fiction work, but in 1993, a poetry award in honour of Dinny O'Hearn was added. The criteria were that the works be "of outstanding literary merit and express Australian identity or character", and be published in the year before the award was made. One of the award-winners was chosen as The Age Book of the Year. The awards were discontinued in 2013. In 2021 The Age Book of the Year was revived as a fiction prize, with the winner announced at the Melbourne Writers Festival.
The Slow Natives (1965) is a Miles Franklin Award-winning novel by Australian author Thea Astley, the second of her record number of four wins. It also won the 1965 Moomba Award.
The Acolyte is a Miles Franklin Award-winning novel by Australian author Thea Astley first published in 1972.
Drylands (1999) is a Miles Franklin Award-winning novel by Australian author Thea Astley. This novel shared the award with Benang by Kim Scott.
Benang: From the Heart is a 1999 Miles Franklin Award-winning novel by Australian author Kim Scott. The award was shared with Drylands by Thea Astley.
Suzanne Falkiner is an Australian writer.
Reaching Tin River (1990) is a novel by Australian author Thea Astley. It won the 1990 New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards — Christina Stead Prize for Fiction.
Beachmasters (1985) is a novel by Australian author Thea Astley. It won the 1986 ALS Gold Medal.
A Kindness Cup (1974) is a novel by Australian author Thea Astley. It won the 1975 The Age Book of the Year Award.
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1962.
Indigenous Australian literature is the fiction, plays, poems, essays and other works authored by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of Australia.
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1992.
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1996.