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‘At the moment Australia seems to be in a bit of a mess – in fact the whole world seems to be in a bit of a mess. But one way of dealing with that is mess satire, and Whipbird is very much a comic novel with a serious underlay. I had more fun writing it than I have had with any of my other books.’
Robert Drewe is a remarkable writer with a reputation that looms above many others. Since 1976, he has written over fifteen books, including his incredibly popular book The Bodysurfers and Our Sunshine.
In this podcast, Cheryl Akle spoke with Robert Drewe about his life, tracing the origins of a master Aussie storyteller.
About Whipbird
Kungadgee, Victoria, Australia. A weekend in late November, 2014. At Hugh and Christine Cleary’s new vineyard, Whipbird, six generations of the Cleary family are coming together from far and wide to celebrate the 160th anniversary of the arrival of their ancestor Conor Cleary from Ireland.
Hugh has been meticulously planning the event for months – a chance to proudly showcase Whipbird to the extended clan. Some of these family members know each other; some don’t.
As the wine flows, it promises to be an eventful couple of days.
Comic, topical, honest, sharply intelligent, and, above all, sympathetic, Robert Drewe’s exhilarating new novel tells a classic Australian family saga as it has never been told before.
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