Firelight

‘An exemplary collection of Indigenous literary speculative fiction. [Firelight] engages with both a sense of wonderment and our innate capacity for compassion, wonderful and abstracted at turns, often simultaneously. Literary spec-fit is a genre to which Aboriginal people seem well suited, for a number of reasons; one of them is that Aboriginal literature is constantly and instinctively engaged with the fantastical. Morrissey’s stories, those of a new writer stretching his mind and experimenting with form, demonstrate that perfectly.’ * Claire G. Coleman, Australian Book Review *
‘Here is a sharp and compelling new voice in Australian fiction. Morrissey honours his characters, and his writing is at once lucid and poetic, meticulous and economical. I read Firelight breathlessly.’ * Jennifer Down *
’Firelight introduces us to a young writer with a dedication to the craft of short fiction. Each of John Morrissey’s stories is a gem, while the collection as a whole is superb.’ * Tony Birch *
‘Brilliant…This clever, genre-bending book constantly challenges the reader’s expectations…Prisoners, ghosts, strange green men, and mining tycoons populate the pages.’ * Writing NSW *
‘A beguiling, evocative delight…I would be happy to recommend this collection to any curious reader—regardless of their usual position as a speculative fiction lover or hater. There’s something about his confident, conversational writing style that allows Morrissey to encase very abnormal events in everyday settings in a way that feels completely believable.’ * Readings *
‘John Morrissey has produced a suite of short stories…that investigate colonialism and identity with a keen eye and uninhibited imagination…An elegant and unpretentious narrative style allows Morrissey to reach for outlandish or bizarre elements with the irreducible impact of a lucid dream. It’s a fable-like, and well-crafted collection.’ * Age *
‘Firelight is a mastery of craft. Each piece challenges narratives of colonialism with precision. Stories portray Indigenous characters from inside and outside perspectives—as observers and the observed—with a complexity that adds an incredible richness to the canon of Australian fiction. The writing is vivid and lush…It is a truly talented writer who can produce a collection that is both harrowing and exciting.’ * Kill Your Darlings *
‘Morrissey is showing his prowess in working in speculative fiction.’ * ABC RN Bookshelf *
‘Firelight is a highly original and compelling collection. In this debut, Morrissey cleverly uses tropes of familiar genres to explore different facets of contemporary Australian life, particularly the legacy and experience of colonialism.’ * Conversation *

John Morrissey is a Melbourne writer of Kalkadoon descent. He was the winner of the 2020 Indigenous Writers Mentorship and runner-up for the Nakata Brophy Prize in 2018. John’s debut Firelight won an Aurealis Award and a Queensland Literary Award, and in 2024 he was named a Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Novelist. Bird Deity is his first novel.

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