Swallow

by Alexandria Burnham

“Told in the first person, Burnham’s portrayal of Swallow is both nuanced and unflinching.” – Katy Briggs, Books+Publishing.

The true story of William Swallow – Australian convict and the last man put on trial for piracy in an English court.

It’s 1829 and Swallow has been sent to Van Diemen’s Land – for the second time. He is sentenced to die in the hell-hole known as Sarah Island. But he has other ideas. On the journey from Hobart to his final prison, he rallies his fellow convicts and leads them to mutiny. Bruised by the betrayal of John, a fellow convict, friend, and lover, William plans to sail back home to England. Back to his wife Susannah and their young children.

460 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2025

About the author

Alexandria Burnham is an AWGIE award-winning screenwriter, novelist and writer of comics. A NIDA graduate (2016, Masters, Writing for Performance), she is best known for her feature film Unsound (Apple, 2020), which was nominated for best original feature at the 2020 AWGIE (Australian Writers Guild) awards. A romantic-drama, the film won best Australian feature at the 2020 Melbourne Queer Film Festival and best fiction feature film at the 2020 ATOM Awards.

Ally is also the lead writer for Metropius (2021), a multi-media story world told across animation, comic books and board games. Her screenplay won Most Outstanding Animation at the 2022 AWGIE Awards. Her comic book series, Forgotten Rose, is set in the same universe.

When there is time, she also teaches at NIDA Open, course designing and training school-aged and adult students in screenwriting for film and television. She is also featured regularly on the writing podcast Prose and Cons.

Swallow, a pirate-adventure historical-fiction novel, based on the true story of escapee Australian convict William Swallow, is her debut novel.

Reviews

[Jim Richards]

This is a great story, written with great care to preserve the true story and historical details it is based upon! Just like the complex man at its heart; the tale of William Swallow has laughs and larrikinism and also some dark depths and pirate brutality, as well as a wonderful tenderness and conflicted love story.

A great read, and I can't wait for the audio book narrated by Rupert Degas of Name of the Wind fame! he will do a great job at all the different accents and voices!

[Cindy Spear]

‘This morning the tide was the colour of bruises.’

What a rollicking, riveting read filled with humour, danger and chaos! Alexandria Burnham has delivered an unforgettable voyage back in time to a unique period in Australia’s convict history. Her prose style is exceptional. With an eye for detail and the gift of eloquence, this story hums along with force and purpose: very much reflecting the main character’s traits and actions. Alexandria’s research is impeccable. Armed with a wealth of facts, she delivers a story that seems almost too good to be true. And although she weaves the truth with imagination, this seemingly larger than life character was real. Her descriptions of the events, locations and characters made it seem like I was watching a movie. I could see it all as if on a big screen (which possibly is attributed to her screenwriting skills). I was carried away to the dangerous world of ‘Swallow’ a real pirate who ironically often reminded me of the fictional movie character Jack Sparrow from Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean with his charm, charisma, wit, romantic views and ability to get himself out of outlandish predicaments. Slippery as a fish, sly as a fox, a trickster when necessary who could fast talk his way out of most dire situations.

The name Swallow he chose is an interesting one. As these birds are known to be heralders of homecoming. Their characteristics are admirable. They are loyal and ‘return to the same nest year after year.’ This is intriguing because in many ways it does reflect certain aspects of our main character. He keeps trying to get back home to his ‘nest’ with his wife but there are always distractions, detours and developments that keep him away.

The time of this novel is 1829. William Walker’s (Swallow), Australia’s last man to be put on trial for piracy in England, is convicted and sent to Van Dieman’s Land to do his sentence and probably die on Sarah Island. This is the dreaded place convicts do not want to go. Tasmania’s first and harshest penal colony, was meant to strike fear in the hearts of those who were threatened to be sent there. Its bone jarring reputation was created in hopes of preventing convicts from behaving badly. But the truth of it, it was a harsh environment. The entrance to the island harbour was so dangerous it was nicknamed Hells Gates: a place of severe isolation and fierce punishment. Its precarious location alone meant it was savaged by brutal winds and unyielding rains. ‘A prison purely for punishment’. As John West, a Tasmanian historian said, it was ‘a place of degradation, depravity and woe.’

But being Swallow, he had other plans than dying in the penal hell hole. Mutiny is on his mind so he rallies his fellow convicts to join him. He wants to get back home to England to his wife and children that he clearly seems to love. But a shadow falls across his heart. A forbidden relationship that follows him on his journey, even after betrayal.

Having William tell his own tale in first person is a clever approach. This makes him more approachable to the reader as we get inside his head and see how he comes to his conclusions and actions. We discover he has learned some of his crafty skills from John, a fellow convict. Who ‘taught him to weigh all possibilities’ and to use others to save himself. He draws upon this other man’s strength to take over the Cyprus. And continues to be guided by his voice and memories. ‘Your lie needs to be near enough to the truth…Exaggerate only when needed, and lean on the facts which can’t be disputed. Control your narrative in the mind of others.’ This is something Swallow does over and again. But sometimes he is self-assured and other times he questions his directions and tactics.

We learn in Swallow’s recollections, that in his younger sailing years, his ‘taste for the thrill’ was obvious. Floridia was one of the proudest clippers he ever sailed, when his ‘body had been at its strongest and most agile’ and together they dared push the limits of their voyages, going farther, taking on extra loads to the reach the farthest port. I loved the poetic image of Icarus in this line as it clearly reflects Swallow’s daringness and love for adventure. ‘We’d sailed closer and closer to the setting sun, wings burning…’

Swallow has a moment when he questions his past. If things had turned out differently, where would he be today? If the Floridian had not sunk, would he still have chased his thrills, or found reason to stay home with Susie? Would he have avoided thieving? Or as he says: ‘...was my transportation, John, and the Cypres, to have always been my fate?’ He contemplates two very different ‘imagined’ responses, from the two loves of his life. ‘Susie would disagree…’ and state ‘no matter his mistakes, he would make amends. He could change from who he was, to what he hoped to be.’ But John would say: William would have ended up where he was, still chasing the thrill of adventure, because that was who he was. (So which one is he?)

I could write so much about this enlightening story full of witty banter, incredible descriptions, danger and challenges that shed light on this man’s life and those around him. The rigorous sailing experiences, his run-ins with the law, and his desperate attempts to escape his predicaments and grasp freedom to return home. This novel clearly takes us on a journey of discovery of who Swallow was. Even while he is trying to figure himself out! Through his eyes, we experience his tragedies and triumphs and other times we feel like we are being suspended on a gangplank over the wild waters of a ship. This exploration of Swallow’s psyche, the rules and culture of the time, the tug of war on emotions of self against self, is all here on these pages in a bright bold display.

Alexandria Burnham has done an amazing job delivering this mega thrilling story that she resurrected from the dusty pages of history for the world to see. Her extensive research on this is admirable and obvious. Putting Swallow at the captain’s wheel to tell his own story—to control his own narrative— is fitting. To hear it all in his own voice moves us closer to the flesh and blood man he was, instead of presenting him through a third person outsider looking in on a legend.

Epic, eventful and enjoyable. This first instalment of this amazing story is a winner! And I look forward to reading more of William Swallow’s adventures in the books to come. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Many thanks to Alexandria Burnham and Westwords Books for the review copy.

[Jennifer (JC-S)]

‘If you knew where you were, you could control where you were going.’

This is the first book in a planned trilogy, and I am hooked on Ms Burnham’s rendering of the true story of convict William Swallow. The story opens in 1829 when Swallow, transported to Van Diemen’s Land for the second time, is sailing from Hobart to Sarah Island in Macquarie Harbour. Swallow, determined to return home to England, tohis wife, Susannah and their three children, leads his fellow convicts to mutiny.

William tells his story in first person: we are with him as he makes various decisions and when he reminisces about the past. He plans to take over the Cyprus but not to be seen as the ringleader. He has a past to hide as well as a plan he needs to keep from his fellow convicts.

Swallow is not always certain of himself and sometimes seems almost overwhelmed by his memories. Yes, he loves his wife Susannah and their children, but he also loved John, a fellow convict, and has feelings for one of his fellow mutineers.

Ms Burnham combines fact and imagination to bring William Swallow to life. Her author’s note at the end of the novel provides fascinating detail about both William Swallow and Ms Burnham’s research.

William Swallow’s birth name was William Walker, but he had other aliases. Each name served to obfuscate his record, confusing the authorities and saving him from hanging.

I would recommend this novel to anyone with an interest in convict history. In the meantime, I will wait patiently for the second instalment.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Lee McKerracher]

I loved this book. I was transported into the wild world of Willliam Swallow and his many deeds - good and bad.

It is evident that an extensive amount of research has gone into this book as the story is told with so much authenticity. I was on the ships, with the crews as they hoisted topsails, sheeted home the topgallants, beside them as they fitted the capstan arms and took up their positions to sail into whatever adventure Swallow was taking them into (sometimes not as willing as he would like).

Swallow was transported to Van Dieman's Land in 1829, but this is not the first time he has made this journey. Swallow is slippery as silk and has the ability to escape and then evade recapture as he tries to wind his way back home to England - to his wife and children.

There were times when I wanted to cheer him on and others when, well, he needed a good talking to. What do you think you are doing Swallow! was a sentence I uttered often.

Swallow is a complex character. He desperately loves his family but is conflicted about his feelings towards his friend John and these feelings could land Swallow in a whole mound of trouble.

I was immersed in Swallow's contradictions, plots, loves, desires and trickery. I can't wait for the sequel.

[Mynnie]

This book is a tease in the best possible way. It's the perfect combination of tension and humour.
Nothing is revealed at once. Every plot point washes over you in waves, leaving you eager for more. This book is a chonk, being over 400 pages, yet it went by way too quickly.

You grow to understand and seek to know more about each character, especially William Swallow. All the stories interwoven in this are expertly handled and if the following books are anything like this one then I am beyond excited!

I'm not going to lie, with most fiction books lately I like to read the last page to manage my expectations, or because I'm inpatient, one of the two. But, I was so happy to sit with this as it was so well paced and to just let it naturally unfurl. It has various sailing terms but just enough to give you an understanding, it doesn't overwhelm you with jargon.

Hurray for gay representation, and hurray for deeply human characters who would react as humans would for the time period this book was set in.

This was an absolute pleasure to read and I feel as though I've learnt a little more about Australian colonial history. I want more!! I can't wait to see where Alexandria and William Swallow take us next.

[Amelia Foxton]

This is tremendous fun.

The writing immediately brought to mind two of my favourite authors: Anne Rice, particularly The Vampire Chronicles, and Roald Dahl’s adult short stories. That is no small compliment.

There is a sumptuousness to the way the author writes, especially in her characterisation. The characters feel layered, emotionally complex and fully inhabited, while their relationships carry the same richness and ambiguity. In that respect, the work reminded me strongly of Anne Rice.

At the same time, Swallow possesses something of the mischievous darkness found in Roald Dahl’s adult fiction. Dahl was brilliant at writing stories that felt grubby, unsettling and slightly dangerous - never entirely comfortable, always carrying a rough edge beneath the wit. Given the subject matter of Swallow, the story needed precisely that quality, and I reckon it was delivered with aplomb.

Complex, dark, sensual and beautifully written, Swallow was an absolute pleasure to experience.

[Matan Elul]

Incrdible read.

But be warned. This is not an adventure story in the usual sense. At least, that is not how I read it. And I mean it in the best possible way. Without venturing into spoiler territory, there are tragic elements to William Swallow's story that left me absolutely clenching my teeth. Burnham crafts a story that is simultaneously hilarious when you least expect it to be, and similarly apt at tearing your heart out when you feel safe.

The highlight for me is the dialogue between characters. There was something incredibly cinematic about the banter between certain characters, to the point that I almost wish I had bought this as an audiobook prior to reading it, just to hear the dialogue for the first time from an actor. It's that good.

The fact that the story is based on real events is cool, but I think Burnham took that idea and ran pretty wild with it, in a way that I found pretty exciting. Book 2, again no spoiling, promises a pretty amazing setting, so here's hoping that Burnham is a fast writer.

[Glenn Fraser]

From the safety of my bed at night, I am transported to other realms. This realm is replete with sweat, salt-stench, ice-cold hemp sails, the inky depths of foreign tides and broken men whose moral radars are long scuppered by circumstance. It maintains a lushness throughout and follows the tale of an everyman who found himself on the bastard end of justice and did what any of us care to do in any such circumstance - and get the hell home. And I was there with him through every narrative perturbation.

Most importantly, Burnham's first novel is not an earnest slog where a reader is beset by the deeps of research in some writers of maritime tales might want to drown a reader. This work elevates the reader, inviting us joyously into another word. Daring richness, but not at the expense of exquisite characterisation.

Get messy with this sumptuous work. The reward is immense. And besides you'll REALLY learn to swear like a sailor!

[Danny]

I'm usually a modern fantasy reader, and this was given as a gift because one of my favourite books is "The Name of The Wind", which is also written from a first person perspective Being historical fiction I wasn't sure what to expect, but the deeper the story dove, the more invested I was.

It's paced almost like a a tv show! the moments of intensity kept me wanting to turn pages, and the slower paced moments gave me a chance to enjoy the depth of what was going on in William's head. There was not a single moment where I felt that I was bored or left wanting.

The fact that was all based on very real events still blows my mind. You could almost say he was an Australian Jack Sparrow!

I was left hanging for more and cannot wait for what seems to be another book in the works.

[Phoenix]

Knowing this is based on a true story, as William looked up at the ship in chapter 1, there was an undeniable electricity, a feeling of setting off on an adventure. I've felt this at the start of other great books, but it was particularly pronounced in this one. This admittedly took me off guard given I felt I knew what I was getting into. Turns out the actual experience of reading the book altogether changes the sensation of knowing the premise—it builds on it. The author establishes authority quickly, and this when mixed with the fact that this is based on true events really got me excited—it promises more than just fiction. I felt that excited nervous feeling in the gut. I recommend this.

[Libby Hyett]

I adore this book. I felt like I was crashing into the dazzling ocean. I saw the sunlight sparkling and felt the hot heat of the sun on sand.
I love the story of William Swallow. He was a convict transported to Australia, so he led a mutiny onboard the Cypress and sailed it to freedom!
I love the prose. It's gentle and rolling, and reads like it was written long ago. Then, in juxtaposition, the dialogue is sharp and snappy and contains words like 'shittery' (the Macquarie dictionary will catch on).
You can tell Burnham is a screenwriter because the action and dialogue are visceral. I had vivid pictures in my head.

[Michael Burge]

Garry Wotherspoon’s research into explosive archived love letters between 19th century seamen Matthew Flinders and George Bass, and bushrangers Captain Moonlite and James Nesbitt, unleashed a long-overdue queer gaze on the Australian colonial experiment. Now, Alexandria Burnham’s heartfelt and feisty tale of high-seas adventure and high-stakes love joins the growing ranks of historical fiction brave enough to portray complex and endearing same sex-attracted characters living in one of the country’s toughest eras. From the WestWords stable, platforming the people, places and cultures that comprise the heart of Western Sydney.

[Jessie]

I enjoyed a lot of this book, but my lack of understanding of ships and piracy took me out of parts of it, as well as some overly obvious language - 'it made me think of my father' - at any mention of violence. I liked the relationships - Susie, John, and Tommy.. and how much the sailors prodded and poked at each other, and Swallow's cheek at every turn. The research that went into this book was evident and was only marred by a smattering of typos throughout. Either way, I am keen to read the next one!

[Shepherd O]

From the very beginning, it pulls you in and keeps the pace flying. The action-packed scenes sometimes make it seem like you're reading a movie. The characters are what really make this book shine. William is complex, sometimes you want to throttle him, then cheer him on. A few moments made me laugh out loud. A great mix of adventure, danger, and heart.

[Ally Bodnaruk]

This novel manages to tell a lyrical love story and a rollicking sea-faring adventure, all while following the incredible and often unbelievable facts of William Swallow's life. Witty and clever and heartfelt; "Swallow" captured my attention and I cannot wait for book two.

[Eleanor Cooper]

Read more about Alexandria Burnham and the writing of 'Swallow' here:
https://wsup.news/alexandria-burnham-...

[Garry Knight]

Veery engaging read, with excellent Australian historical background.

[Sharon Thompson]

I absolutely loved this book. What a story.

[Vahida Berberovic]

This is a a rollicking sailing adventure with a real-life pirate who redefines who can be loved.

[Sue Lee-Archer]

Hi Ally
I’ve just finished Swallow and I loved it, and I have a suggestion about William’s boys.
Perhaps William and John were caught up in an epidemic in their early lives and didn’t live beyond childhood, unlike Eleanor?

[Alex]

Did you know Australia had its very own pirate? I didn’t and now I am obsessed.

Swallow is a beautiful book about the eponymous pirate. Alexandria Burnham has taken impeccable care researching and combing over this story to get it just right.

If fall anywhere within the Venn diagram of interest any interest in Australian Colonial History or pirates, you will greatly enjoy this masterfully told story.

[Lathalia Song]

Surprisingly personal view of a convict sailors life, how history converged on William Swallow. Creating a reluctant pirate hero with serious romance issues. A rollicking adventure, with sauce, longing AND it’s set in Australia! Finally and Australian pirate story!

Cannot wait for the Japanese adventure sequel…a series of luck, disasters, and sheer determination.