Extinctions (2016) is a Miles Franklin Award-winning novel by Australian writer Josephine Wilson. It was originally published by University of WA Publishing in Australia in 2016.[1]
| Author | Josephine Wilson |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Literary fiction |
| Publisher | UWA Publishing |
Publication date | 20 December 2016 |
| Publication place | Australia |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 286 pp. |
| Awards | 2017 Miles Franklin Award, Colin Roderick Award |
| ISBN | 9781742588988 |
Synopsis
editAfter the death of his wife and his estrangement from his two daughters, Professor Frederick Lothian, retired engineer, moves into a retirement village and into a deep depression. After a series of chance and unfortunate incidents he meets his village neighbour Jan and slowly begins to see life in a different light.
Publishing history
editAfter its initial publication in Australia by UWA Publishing in 2016,[2] the novel was reprinted as follows:
Dedication and epigraph
edit- Dedication: "For Christopher Hill, who understands."
- Epigraph: "Who is prepared to deprive life of a significant dénouement?" Jean Améry
Critical reception
editIn The Saturday Paper reviewer "LS" noted: "There is great sensitivity and heart in this story of redemption and Wilson can be blackly funny...Despite Fred’s advanced years, Extinctions is akin to a coming-of-age story. Will he mature into a good person? Wilson attempts too much, but Extinctions is a rich and humane novel peopled with compelling characters."[4]
Roslyn Jolly, in The Sydney Review of Books, comments: "Frederick Lothian is a deeply flawed, emotionally stunted, at times repellent character. He has grave sins, both of omission and commission, on his conscience. He has contributed, with varying degrees of responsibility, to the destruction of three young lives. To speak of relationship breakdown does not begin to cover the amount of damage he has done to his marriage. Watching Fred grope his way towards self-insight and accountability is an experience both painful and fascinating, and I found his character convincing as the product of a particular childhood in particular historical conditions."[5]
Awards
edit- 2017 Miles Franklin Award, winner[6]
- 2017 Colin Roderick Award, winner[7]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d "Austlit — Extinctions by Josephine Wilson 2016". Austlit. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
- ^ "Extinctions (UWA 2016)". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
- ^ "Extinctions (Serpents Tail 2018)". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
- ^ ""Josephine Wilson Extinctions"". The Saturday Paper, 26 November 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
- ^ ""Monster or Mohican: Extinctions by Josephine Wilson"". The Sydney Review of Books, 30 March 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
- ^ Steger, Jason (8 September 2017). "Josephine Wilson wins Miles Franklin for Extinctions, a matter of life and death". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
- ^ "Colin Roderick Award - Other Winners". James Cook University. Retrieved 22 April 2024.