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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
'In Their Brilliant Careers, Ryan O’Neill has written a hilarious novel in the guise of sixteen biographies of (invented) Australian writers. Meet Rachel Deverall, who discovers the secret female source of the great literature of our time – and pays a terrible price for her discovery. Meet Rand Washington, hugely popular sci-fi author (of Whiteman of Cor) and holder of extreme views on race and gender. Meet Addison Tiller, the master of the bush yarn, “The Chekhov of Coolabah”, who has never travelled outside Sydney.
Their Brilliant Careers is a playful set of stories, linked in many ways, which together form a memorable whole. It is a wonderful comic tapestry of the writing life, and a large-scale parody in which every detail adds to the humour of the overall picture' (publication blurb).
Notes
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Dedication: For my late wife, Rachel
Contents
- Rand Washington (1919-2000), single work short story (p. 1-14)
- Matilda Young (1899-2000), single work short story (p. 15-34)
- Arthur Ruhtra (1940-1981), single work short story (p. 35-48)
- Addison Tiller (1874-1929), single work short story (p. 49-70)
- Robert Bush (1941-1990), single work short story (p. 71-92)
- Dame Claudia Gunn (1885-1975), single work short story (p. 93-106)
- Francis X McVeigh (1900-1948?), single work short story humour (p. 107-120)
- Rachel Deverall (1969-2016), single work short story (p. 121-140)
- Catherine Swan (1921-1970), single work short story (p. 141-152)
- Frederick Stratford (1880-1933), single work short story (p. 153-164)
- Edward Gayle (1928-2008), single work short story (p. 165-180)
- Vivian Darkbloom (1901-1976), single work short story (p. 181-202)
- Helen Harkaway (1940-1993), single work short story (p. 203-218)
- Donald Chapman (1903?-1937?), single work short story (p. 219-230)
- Stephen Pennington (1935-2009), single work short story (p. 231-260)
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Other Formats
- Large print.
- Sound recording.
- Braille.
Works about this Work
-
Something Real in Fiction : on Ryan O’Neill and Lynne Tillman
2018
single work
essay
— Appears in: Overland [Online] , February 2018;'Reading ‘nonfiction’ can be like staring into a dark hole dug in the side of reality with just a penlight. The writer has excavated reality’s detail and arranged it neatly into words for our examination. Reading fiction, on the other hand, can be like staring at the stars for signs of the future: luminous and beautiful but not particularly illuminating, unless you’re an astronomer.' (Introduction)
-
Heart-warming, Biting, Tragic, Funny: the Miles Franklin Shortlist Will Move You
2017
single work
essay
— Appears in: The Conversation , 6 September 2017;'The 2017 Miles Franklin Award winner will be announced tonight, but I’m not taking bets on who it’s likely to be. Each shortlisted novel is by a first-time nominee. Each is of satisfyingly high literary quality and very different in voice, logic, focus and story.' (Introduction)
-
Review : Their Brilliant Careers
2016
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , August no. 383 2016; (p. 43)
— Review of Their Brilliant Careers : The Fantastic Lives of Sixteen Extraordinary Australian Writers 2016 selected work short story -
Ryan O’Neill, Their Brilliant Careers
2016
single work
review
— Appears in: The Saturday Paper , 30 July 2016;
— Review of Their Brilliant Careers : The Fantastic Lives of Sixteen Extraordinary Australian Writers 2016 selected work short story -
What I’m Reading—
2016
single work
— Appears in: Meanjin Online 2016;
-
Ryan O’Neill, Their Brilliant Careers
2016
single work
review
— Appears in: The Saturday Paper , 30 July 2016;
— Review of Their Brilliant Careers : The Fantastic Lives of Sixteen Extraordinary Australian Writers 2016 selected work short story -
Review : Their Brilliant Careers
2016
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , August no. 383 2016; (p. 43)
— Review of Their Brilliant Careers : The Fantastic Lives of Sixteen Extraordinary Australian Writers 2016 selected work short story -
Ryan O'Neill Their Brilliant Careers : The Fantastic Lives of Sixteen Extraordinary Australian Writers.
2016
single work
review
— Appears in: The Newtown Review of Books , October 2016;
— Review of Their Brilliant Careers : The Fantastic Lives of Sixteen Extraordinary Australian Writers 2016 selected work short story -
How to Cut a Long Story Short
2016
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australia , 22-23 October 2016; (p. 20)
— Review of Their Brilliant Careers : The Fantastic Lives of Sixteen Extraordinary Australian Writers 2016 selected work short story -
The Writers We Deserve
2016
single work
review
— Appears in: Sydney Review of Books , October 2016;
— Review of Their Brilliant Careers : The Fantastic Lives of Sixteen Extraordinary Australian Writers 2016 selected work short story ; Wood Green 2016 single work novel -
Heart-warming, Biting, Tragic, Funny: the Miles Franklin Shortlist Will Move You
2017
single work
essay
— Appears in: The Conversation , 6 September 2017;'The 2017 Miles Franklin Award winner will be announced tonight, but I’m not taking bets on who it’s likely to be. Each shortlisted novel is by a first-time nominee. Each is of satisfyingly high literary quality and very different in voice, logic, focus and story.' (Introduction)
-
Something Real in Fiction : on Ryan O’Neill and Lynne Tillman
2018
single work
essay
— Appears in: Overland [Online] , February 2018;'Reading ‘nonfiction’ can be like staring into a dark hole dug in the side of reality with just a penlight. The writer has excavated reality’s detail and arranged it neatly into words for our examination. Reading fiction, on the other hand, can be like staring at the stars for signs of the future: luminous and beautiful but not particularly illuminating, unless you’re an astronomer.' (Introduction)
-
What I’m Reading—
2016
single work
— Appears in: Meanjin Online 2016;
Awards
- 2017 winner Prime Minister's Literary Awards — Fiction
- 2017 shortlisted Miles Franklin Literary Award
- 2017 shortlisted New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards — Christina Stead Prize for Fiction