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Signs of Life
Dirt Music's Georgie Jutland and Lu Fox return in a brilliant story about people with radically different histories forming awkward, spiky alliances in order to survive.
Alone in her farmhouse at night, Georgie hears noises out on the highway – car doors, voices, weeping. She's recently widowed and a little spooked. It's not just her – the entire world feels wrong, as if the land beneath her feet is dying. It hasn't rained for years. The river has dried up and the olive grove is beginning to wither around her.
Then a figure emerges from the darkness. A man, an Aborigine, seeking help. He says he needs petrol. His sister is out in the car, screaming. They've been sleeping in it for days.
Can Georgie trust them? And what to do when guests settle in and show no inclination to move on?
Heart-rending and funny, Signs of Life is a story about being forced to navigate an uncertain future with only shreds of the past as bearings.
Alone in her farmhouse at night, Georgie hears noises out on the highway – car doors, voices, weeping. She's recently widowed and a little spooked. It's not just her – the entire world feels wrong, as if the land beneath her feet is dying. It hasn't rained for years. The river has dried up and the olive grove is beginning to wither around her.
Then a figure emerges from the darkness. A man, an Aborigine, seeking help. He says he needs petrol. His sister is out in the car, screaming. They've been sleeping in it for days.
Can Georgie trust them? And what to do when guests settle in and show no inclination to move on?
Heart-rending and funny, Signs of Life is a story about being forced to navigate an uncertain future with only shreds of the past as bearings.
- GenresPlays
96 pages, Paperback
First published June 26, 2013
About the author
Tim Winton
80 books2,480 followersTim Winton was born in Perth, Western Australia, but moved at a young age to the small country town of Albany.
While a student at Curtin University of Technology, Winton wrote his first novel, An Open Swimmer. It went on to win The Australian/Vogel Literary Award in 1981, and launched his writing career. In fact, he wrote "the best part of three books while at university". His second book, Shallows, won the Miles Franklin Award in 1984. It wasn't until Cloudstreet was published in 1991, however, that his career and economic future were cemented.
In 1995 Winton’s novel, The Riders, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, as was his 2002 book, Dirt Music. Both are currently being adapted for film. He has won many other prizes, including the Miles Franklin Award three times: for Shallows (1984), Cloudstreet (1992) and Dirt Music (2002). Cloudstreet is arguably his best-known work, regularly appearing in lists of Australia’s best-loved novels. His latest novel, released in 2013, is called Eyrie.
He is now one of Australia's most esteemed novelists, writing for both adults and children. All his books are still in print and have been published in eighteen different languages. His work has also been successfully adapted for stage, screen and radio. On the publication of his novel, Dirt Music, he collaborated with broadcaster, Lucky Oceans, to produce a compilation CD, Dirt Music – Music for a Novel.
He has lived in Italy, France, Ireland and Greece but currently lives in Western Australia with his wife and three children.
While a student at Curtin University of Technology, Winton wrote his first novel, An Open Swimmer. It went on to win The Australian/Vogel Literary Award in 1981, and launched his writing career. In fact, he wrote "the best part of three books while at university". His second book, Shallows, won the Miles Franklin Award in 1984. It wasn't until Cloudstreet was published in 1991, however, that his career and economic future were cemented.
In 1995 Winton’s novel, The Riders, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, as was his 2002 book, Dirt Music. Both are currently being adapted for film. He has won many other prizes, including the Miles Franklin Award three times: for Shallows (1984), Cloudstreet (1992) and Dirt Music (2002). Cloudstreet is arguably his best-known work, regularly appearing in lists of Australia’s best-loved novels. His latest novel, released in 2013, is called Eyrie.
He is now one of Australia's most esteemed novelists, writing for both adults and children. All his books are still in print and have been published in eighteen different languages. His work has also been successfully adapted for stage, screen and radio. On the publication of his novel, Dirt Music, he collaborated with broadcaster, Lucky Oceans, to produce a compilation CD, Dirt Music – Music for a Novel.
He has lived in Italy, France, Ireland and Greece but currently lives in Western Australia with his wife and three children.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 6, 2026
idk. was read in class. Boring. Oh well. Haven’t read in so long rip.
July 31, 2017
I enjoyed reading a part about Australia. If you haven't realised, like me, that this is set post Dirt Music, you may find more depth if you read the book first.
I enjoyed the dialogue and learning about pole sitting in a way that I haven't read Tim Winton before.
I enjoyed the dialogue and learning about pole sitting in a way that I haven't read Tim Winton before.
December 1, 2022
A hauntingly beautiful, sweet bitter exploration of reconciliation between Aboriginal and Anglo Australians. Deserves to be on the English curriculum for senior students.
July 6, 2026
Where are the aliens smh misleading title
January 31, 2014
Great little 1 act play, it gives a glimpse of Lu Fox and Georgie Jutland's life together after Dirt music via Georgie's conversations with Lu's spirit. Two other characters enter Georgie's life one night, Bender and his sister Mona, they have arrived to revisit their fathers past, a story he used to tell them of when he absconded from Moore River Mission and found sanctuary by the river on the Fox family farm. A gentle continuation from Dirt music, can bring a tear to the eye
July 5, 2013
Interesting extension of Winton's acclaimed Dirt Music. Some nice moments and some profound ideas about identity and purpose explored in a short space.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews