The storyteller
Trent Dalton
Journalist and author of Boy Swallows Universe
Set in working-class Brisbane in the 1980s, Boy Swallows
Universe is such a uniquely Australian story. Why do you think it’s resonated so widely?
One word: hope. I’ve had messages from a 21-year-old bloke in Korea who told me that he found connections with the book’s main character, Eli. He told me “My God, this is my life.” A quality I love in Australians is you’re not allowed to let the hand you’ve been dealt be your excuse for being a knucklehead. But love conquering all is a universal theme.
Is Brisbane still ground zero for Boy Swallows Universe?
Yes! The big secret of the novel’s success is that it really became what it did because of Brisbane book clubs. It’s as Brisbane a book as you could get and if you’re from there, chances are it mentions your suburb. People have Boy Swallows Universe-themed book clubs there now. It’s become this beautiful community experience.
What’s something you wish the world better understood about Australians?
We come across as knockabout but we also have a deep intelligence. We have incredibly bright people who punch above their weight in things like science and literature. Growing up, my family was rough as guts but all we ever wanted to do was play Trivial Pursuit and become the smartest people we could.
What’s the most Australian thing about you?
I have my late father’s dead pet stonefish in a jar. My dad picked him up in a mudpot fishing off Bribie Island north of Brisbane. The stonefish’s name is Keith and, frankly, he has the same face as my dad. That has to be the most Australian thing you could have.