Heat and Light
Winner of the 2013 David Unaipon Award.
Winner of the 2014 Dobbie Literary Prize.
Winner of the 2016 NSW Premiers Literary Award – Indigenous Writers Prize.
In this award-winning work of fiction, Ellen van Neerven takes her readers on a journey that is mythical, mystical and still achingly real.
Over three parts, she takes traditional storytelling and gives it a unique, contemporary twist. In ‘Heat’, we meet several generations of the Kresinger family and the legacy left by the mysterious Pearl. In ‘Water’, van Neerven offers a futuristic imagining of a people whose existence is under threat. While in ‘Light’, familial ties are challenged and characters are caught between a desire for freedom and a sense of belonging.
Heat and Light presents an intriguing collection while heralding the arrival of an exciting new talent in Australian writing.
PRAISE FOR HEAT AND LIGHT
‘A stunning debut from a young writer of immense potential.’ Melissa Lucashenko, author of Mullumbimby
‘A bold and adventurous work. This is a very fine debut from a talented writer.’ Books+Publishing
‘Ellen van Neerven produces writing with a rare imaginative force.’ Australian Book Review
‘My book of the year was the short story collection Heat and Light by the young Queensland writer Ellen van Neerven. The stories evoke mystery and sensuality in equal measure, while the vivid portrait of landscape leaves the taste of dust in your throat and fear in your heart.’ Tony Birch for Australian Book Review Books of the Year 2014
‘Few succeed to the extent that exists between the pages of Heat and Light. [A] remarkable young talent.’ Readings Monthly
‘From one story to the next, the content is significant and the writing is beautiful and clever.’ Sydney Morning Herald
‘My favourite read by far this year. A breathtaking work of art.’ Ceridwen Dovey for the Weekend Australian
[…] Foreign Soil, a collection of stories about people on the margins in the US, the UK and Australia. Ellen van Neerven’s Heat and Light is a collection of literary and speculative short fiction. And Emily Bitto wrote a […]
[…] Heat and Light by Ellen Van Neerven. A collection of stories interwoven. An interesting slice of Australia. 3 stars […]
[…] Heat and Light by Ellen Van Neerven. A collection of stories interwoven. An interesting slice of Australia. 3 stars […]
[…] too like mooki ones. I only just started it though, currently one chapter deep. Before that I read Heat and Light by Ellen Van Neerven and them mangrove plant people spirits were really something to phone home about. For real, I was […]
[…] witnessed an inspiring Opening Keynote by Ellen van Neerven, who read an excerpt from her book, “Heat and Light,” which was transformative and poetic and reeked of solastalgia. It also really underlined the […]
[…] van Neerven is an award-winning Indigenous Australian writer. Her first book, Heat and Light (UQP, 2014), was the recipient of the David Unaipon Award and the Dobbie Literary Award. Heat and […]
[…] so pleased this was the first book I read as part of this pledge; I really, really enjoyed it. Ellen Van Neervan has created something that is mystical, real, engaging and edifying. It deftly weaves Indigenous […]
[…] of the country between the Logan and Albert rivers in South East Queensland. Her first book, Heat and Light, was the recipient of the David Unaipon Award, the Dobbie Literary Award and the NSW […]
[…] From Ellen van Neerven’s website: […]