Related content
AUTHOR
Laura Jean McKay
Laura Jean McKay is a writer and a lecturer in creative writing at…
DiscoverThe Animals in That Country shortlisted for the Readings Prize
We are very excited that The Animals in That Country by Laura Jean McKay has been shortlisted for The Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction 2020.
The Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction (originally known as the Readings New Australian Writing Award) was established in 2014 and recognises exciting and exceptional new contributions to local literature. First and second published works of fiction are eligible. The Prize is awarded to the work of highest literary merit.
Congratulations to Laura and all the shortlisted authors.
Look out for the announcement of the winner online in late October and in the November edition of the Readings Monthly. Find out more here.
The Animals in That Country
Out on the road, no one speaks, everything talks.
Hard-drinking, foul-mouthed, and allergic to bullshit, Jean is not your usual grandma. She’s never been good at getting on with other humans, apart from her beloved granddaughter, Kimberly. Instead, she surrounds herself with animals, working as a guide in an outback wildlife park. And although Jean talks to all her charges, she has a particular soft spot for a young dingo called Sue.
As disturbing news arrives of a pandemic sweeping the country, Jean realises this is no ordinary flu: its chief symptom is that its victims begin to understand the language of animals — first mammals, then birds and insects, too. As the flu progresses, the unstoppable voices become overwhelming, and many people begin to lose their minds, including Jean’s infected son, Lee. When he takes off with Kimberly, heading south, Jean feels the pull to follow her kin.
