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Desert Fish - The Open College of the Arts

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Desert Fish


Back in 2003, Australian Cherise Saywell studied two OCA creative writing courses, an experience she describes as ‘enormously beneficial to my development as a writer’. Success soon followed with Cherise winning the prestigious VS Pritchett Prize for her short story “Beef Queen”. Cherise is based in Edinburgh, and continued to develop her writing, with the help of two bursaries from the Scottish Arts Council (now Creative Scotland). More recently she was a runner up in the 2009 Asham Awards, with “The Candle Garden” described by Jane Housham in the Guardian as ‘the stand-out story [which] has the wrench of real pathos and out-Atwoods Atwood in its dystopian vision of a world where parks have disappeared, gardens are guarded and even cemeteries issue tickets for a one-hour visit.’
Now Cherise has secured a two novel deal with Random House Australia and the first of these novels “Desert Fish” is published on Tuesday.

Desert Fish tells the story of Gilly who lives in a drought-ridden small town in 1970s Australia. She’s left school but hasn’t found a job, it’s always hot and life seems a little pointless. Then Pete arrives. Golden-skinned with a kind smile and relaxed attitude, he boards with Gilly and her family and breaks the tension between her philandering father and anxious-to-please mother. Gilly can’t help but fall in love with him and one sultry night, she gets what she wants. A few weeks later, Pete disappears and Gilly finds out she’s pregnant. She wants Pete so badly she’ll do what it takes to find him and keep him, at any cost.
At present the book is available only in Australia and New Zealand, but it is available to order from the UK through online bookseller The Nile.
It’s always great when former students get in touch to tell us about their progress and we wish Cherise well with sales of the book, and in finishing the next novel.


Posted by author: Genevieve Sioka

One thought on “Desert Fish

  • Reading this prompted me to check the Asham Award site for ‘The Candle Garden’, which is there available to be read, and is beautifully told – understated and moving. A really effective story of the future. Thanks, Cherise – and may your sales of Desert Fish be mighty!
    Jane

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