 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 |
The Drowner (1996) is a novel by Australian author Robert Drewe.
It was shortlisted for Miles Franklin Award, and won the Vance Palmer Prize for Fiction and New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards — Book of the Year in 1997.
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."
- 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."
Awards and nominations
- 1997 winner New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards — Christina Stead Prize for Fiction
- 1997 winner New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards — Book of the Year
- 1997 shortlisted Commonwealth Writer's Prize — South East Asia and South Pacific Region - Best First Novel
- 1997 winner Vance Palmer Prize for Fiction
- 1998 winner Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature
- 1998 winner Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature — Premier's Award for the Best Overall Published Work
Notes
A film adaptation of the novel was reportedly arranging funding in 2010, and in pre-production in 2013. Directed by Jeff Darling from a screenplay by Justin Monjo, Producers Michael Boughen and Matthew Street, Production Company: Ambience Entertainment The Drowner: A story of love, passion, madness, death, and human frailty
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
- ^ ""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.
- ^ "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.