Carpentaria (novel)

Infobox Book |
name = Carpentaria


image_caption = First edition cover
author = Alexis Wright
cover_artist = Russell White
country = Australia
language = English
genre = Fiction
publisher = Giramondo
pub_date = 2006
media_type = Print (paperback)
pages = 519
isbn = ISBN 9781920882174

"Carpentaria" is the second novel by the Indigenous Australian author Alexis Wright. It met with widespread critical acclaim when it was published in mid-2006, and went on to win Australia's premier literary prize, the Miles Franklin Award, in mid-2007.

Plot introduction

The novel tells the interconnected stories of several inhabitants of the fictional town of Desperance, situated on the Gulf of Carpentaria in northwest Queensland. There, the Aboriginal people of the Pricklebush clan are engaged in a number of argumentative conflicts with various enemies in the community, including the white inhabitants of Desperance, the local law enforcement and government officials, and a large multinational mining operation that has been established on their traditional sacred land. The narrative chronicles the interpersonal relationships shared between three men embroiled in these disputes: the wise, pragmatic, and blunt Normal Phantom; the nomadic, overzealous shamanic practitioner of Aboriginal traditional religion, Mozzie Fishman; and Norm's son, Will Phantom, who deserted his father's house to undertake a cross-country spiritual journey with Fishman, but who has now returned home with something of Fishman's character in him.

Controversies

While the novel itself was not the subject of controversy, it nevertheless captured public attention insofar as it came to be caught up in other controversies. The first of these was the Northern Territory Intervention proposed by the Howard Government in mid-2007. This coincided with both the novel's Miles Franklin win and Wright's delivery of a high-profile 10,000-word speech, sponsored by International PEN,Moustafine, Maria. Sydney PEN Voices: The 3 Writers Project.' [http://internationalpen.org.uk/index.php?pid=33&aid=621&return=33 International PEN] . 25 May 2007. in which her identification of an ethos of national fear in Australia came to be portrayed in the national media as a characterisation of the feelings of Indigenous peoples associated with the Intervention. Wright received concentrated media attention throughout this period, which boosted sales of the novel.

The second controversy was the decision made by Australian bookstore chain Angus & Robertson to only stock books produced by small-press publishers if the publishers themselves paid a requisite fee.Rimmer, Charlie, ARW Group Commercial Manager. Letter to Michael Rakusin, 30 July 2007. [http://blogs.smh.com.au/entertainment/archives/undercover/014948.html Letter published at "Undercover" blog on the "Sydney Morning Herald" website] . 9 August 2007. The implication of this decision was that such publishers would be unable to afford these fees, and thus their publications would be removed from the shelves to make room for books that were likely to achieve higher sales. "Carpentaria", after having been rejected by every major Australian publisher, was eventually published by Giramondo, one of the publishing houses targeted in Angus and Robertson's campaign; therefore, the most recent winner of Australia's largest literary prize would no longer be stocked in one of Australia's largest bookstore chains.Wyndham, Susan. [http://blogs.smh.com.au/entertainment/archives/undercover/014921.html Bookshop chain puts bite on small publishers] . "Undercover" blog at the "Sydney Morning Herald" website. 8 August 2007. This too received concentrated media attention, and again boosted sales of the novel.

Reviews

*"Asia and Pacific Writers Network" [http://www.apwn.net/index.php?/news/more/carpentaria_by_alexis_wright_reviewed_by_dr_cathie_dunsford/]
*"Australian Women's Book Review" [http://www.emsah.uq.edu.au/awsr/awbr/issues/142/carpentaria.html]
*"The Sydney Morning Herald" [http://www.smh.com.au/news/book-reviews/carpentaria/2006/09/18/1158431619821.html?page=fullpage]
*"Time Magazine" [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1539146,00.html?iid=chix-sphere]

External links

* [http://www.giramondopublishing.com/imprint_titles/index.html#carpentaria Official listing for the novel] at the website of Giramondo Publishing.
* [http://www.abc.net.au/rn/bookshow/documents/Alexis_Wright_PEN2007.pdf A Question of Fear] , the full text of Wright's International PEN address.

Footnotes