Heat and Light

In this award-winning work of fiction, Ellen van Neerven takes her readers on a journey that is mythical, mystical, and still achingly real. Over three parts, she takes traditional storytelling and gives it a unique, contemporary twist. In “Heat,” we meet several generations of the Kresinger family and the legacy left by the mysterious Pearl. In “Water,” a futuristic world is imagined and the fate of a people threatened. In “Light,” familial ties are challenged and characters are caught between a desire for freedom and a sense of belonging. Heat and Light presents an intriguing collection while heralding the arrival of an exciting new talent in Australian writing.

“A stunning debut from a young writer of immense potential.”  —Melissa Lucashenko, author, Mullumbimby

“Here is an outstanding writer at work.”  —David Unaipon Award, judges’ comments

Ellen van Neerven is a writer of Mununjali and Dutch heritage. She belongs to the Yugambeh people of the Gold Coast and Scenic Rim. She won the David Unaipon Award for an Unpublished Indigenous Writer in the 2013 Queensland Literary Awards for Heat and Light. Her short fiction, poetry, and memoir have been published in numerous publications, including Mascara Literary Review, McSweeney’s, and Voiceworks.