Zak Grieve grew up in an outback town, at the crossroads between right and wrong, White and black, punishment and forgiving. Convicted of the brutal killing of Ray Nicefero, despite even the judge saying he wasn't there when it happened, he spent years writing letters describing his hopes and dreams, his role in what happened, and how when the real world came down on him with a tonne of punishment, he wasn't ready. This is a book about growing up, about dying and about writing. In the end, it is only Zak's imagination, given life in the novels he also writes inside prison, that hold the key to his survival.

Indie Book Awards shortlist 2024