One Hundred Years of Dirt

Social mobility is not a train you get to board after you've scraped together enough for the ticket. You have to build the whole bloody engine, with nothing but a spoon and hand-me-down psychological distress.Violence, treachery and cruelty run through the generational veins of Rick Morton's family. A horrific accident thrusts his mother and siblings into a world impossible for them to navigate, a life of poverty and drug addiction. One Hundred Years of Dirt is an unflinching memoir in which the mother is a hero who is never rewarded. It is a meditation on the anger, fear of others and an obsession with real and imagined borders. Yet it is also a testimony to the strength of familial love and endurance.

Long-listed for Australian Book Industry Award Biography of the Year 2019
Long-listed for Australian Book Industry Award Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year 2019

'I think it's terrific and I was very moved by it.' -- Tim Winton
'One Hundred Years of Dirt had me spellbound from the get-go. Morton is a crack storyteller and his words and stories are infused with genuine compassion. It's a magnificent book, the clarity of it is inspiring.' -- Christos Tsiolkas, award-winning author of The Slap
'... a compelling family saga, cataloguing violence and aggression stretching across generations.' -- The Sydney Morning Herald

Rick Morton is an award-winning journalist and social affairs writer for The Australian. He has covered social policy for The Australian since 2013 with a particular focus on large government programs such as the National Disability Insurance Scheme, aged care, child care and the employment services system. He also reports on the broader welfare system, youth unemployment and politics. He is a country kid from Outback Queensland, based in Canberra via Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart, and now author of his memoir One Hundred Years of Dirt. Rick Morton is an award-winning journalist and social affairs writer for The Australian. He has covered social policy for The Australian since 2013 with a particular focus on large government programs such as the National Disability Insurance Scheme, aged care, child care and the employment services system. He also reports on the broader welfare system, youth unemployment and politics. He is a country kid from Outback Queensland, based in Canberra via Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart, and now author of his memoir One Hundred Years of Dirt.

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