Fiction

Walter by Ashley Sievwright

by Crusader Hillis •

December 2012–January 2013, no. 347

Clouds of Magellan, $24.95 pb, 214 pp, 9780987403704

Fiction

Walter by Ashley Sievwright

by Crusader Hillis •

December 2012–January 2013, no. 347

Ashley Sievwright’s second novel has several of the hallmarks of his Commonwealth Writers’ Prize-nominated début novel, The Shallow End (2008). At the heart of each is a mystery that slowly unfolds while never overwhelming the story. It is not the dénouement in either book that is important, but the effect that gradual revelations have on the main character’s highly internalised experience of life. Like the earlier book, Walter is filled with droll observations about life, presented at a gentle pace.

Crusader Hillis

Crusader Hillis is a writer, editor, curator, and producer. He co-founded (with Rowland Thomson) the queer bookshop Hares & Hyenas in 1991. They have since presented over 500 literary and performance events for festivals in Melbourne and Sydney. Hares & Hyenas is now also a fully licensed performance venue presenting over 120 events per year.

Crusader’s fiction and non-fiction has been published in magazines and newspapers here and in the UK. He has had a distinguished parallel career in the arts, managing organisations and marketing teams for festivals, consulting for various major organisations, and serving on several boards and committees.