AAPS is delighted to announce that Melbourne’s Affirm Press has acquired world rights in Shirl, a debut short-story collection by Victorian author Wayne Marshall, which was recently a runner-up in the 2019 Victorian Premier Awards’ Unpublished Manuscript Competition.
Martin Shaw, literary agent at AAPS, describes the collection, in which a range of what-if scenarios involving themes of Australiana are taken to fabulist and comedic extremes, as “a remarkable and assured debut which put me in mind of authors like Julie Koh, Ryan O’Neill and Nic Low – as well as the early George Saunders. Wayne uses absurdist humour to playfully skewer some of the foundations of both contemporary Australian society and modern masculinity”.
Martin Hughes, publisher at Affirm Press, said: “Wayne Marshall’s stories might be short but they pack an incredible punch and I can’t believe how strongly each one has stayed with me. Shirl is superbly inventive and powerful and entertaining. We can’t wait to share this collection, and launch Wayne’s book-publishing career.”
Shirl will be published in early 2020.
Our huge congratulations to Wayne!