The Promise

Overview

Outstanding new fiction from the Miles Franklin-shortlisted author of BloodIn this breathtaking new work, Tony Birch affirms his position as one of Australia’s finest writers of short-form fiction.Using his unflinching creative gaze, he ponders love and loss and faith. A trio of amateur thieves are left in charge of a baby moments before a heist. A group of boys compete in the final of a marbles tournament, only to find their biggest challenge was the opponent they didn’t see coming. Two young friends find a submerged car in their local swimming hole and become obsessed by the mystery of the driver’s identity. Across twelve blistering stories, The Promise delivers a sensitive and often humorous take on the lives of those who have loved, lost and wandered.

Author Biography

Tony Birch is the author of Shadowboxing (2006), the short story collection Father’s Day (2009) and the novel Blood (UQP, 2011), which was shortlisted for the 2012 Miles Franklin Award. He is a frequent contributor to ABC local and national radio and a regular guest at writers’ festivals. He lives in Melbourne where he teaches in the School of Culture and Communication at the University of Melbourne.