Sydney Noir, edited by John Dale, is now out in Australia with Brio Books. The launch last night was a lot of fun.
My contribution, a short story called ‘The Patternmaker’, is the result of my collaboration last year with fashion designer Rioko Tega of Tega Boniko.
‘The Akashic ‘Noir’ crime series began in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. The book earned so much attention and acclaim that it has now expanded to include over 90 titles in locales criss-crossing the globe. The incorporation of familiar, well-known cities with excellent writing and plotting is a winning combination that readers can’t resist. Those who have stepped into the ring to edit the collections run the gamut from little-known talents to big names like Joyce Carol Oates and Dennis Lehane.
In 2018, Brio will co-publish the first-ever Australian title in the series, Sydney Noir, edited by acclaimed writer John Dale and featuring brand-new stories from fourteen of our most talented authors: Mandy Sayer, John Dale, Mark Dapin, Kirsten Tranter, Eleanor Limprecht, Leigh Redhead, Robert Drewe, Julie Koh, Peter Polites, Tom Gilling, Gabrielle Lord, Philip McLaren, P.M. Newton and Peter Doyle. The stories deal with men and women who work in finance or serve in Liquorland, drive cabs or beat-up utes. They might be architects or struggling students, athletes or Aboriginal liaison officers, retired coppers or contract labourers, patternmakers or photographers, philosophy lecturers or drug dealers. Some are desperate for revenge or money and fame; others are simply caught up in circumstances beyond their control or in a sexual relationship gone wrong.
The reader is taken from Kings Cross to La Perouse, from Balmain to Parramatta, Redfern to Maroubra, Clovelly to Bankstown, Sydney Harbour to Edgecliff, Newtown to Ashfield, and Lavender Bay to Mosman. There are no safe spaces in this collection. What Sydney Noir does best is to provide a window onto the street. Sit back and enjoy the view.’
The Akashic Books US edition will be available in January.
