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Writers on Writers #11
On Tim Winton
In this beautifully written personal essay, Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist Geraldine Brooks offers readers brilliant insights into the work of one of Australia’s greatest living writers, Tim Winton.
In the Writers on Writers series, leading authors reflect on an Australian writer who has inspired and fascinated them. Provocative and crisp, these books start a fresh conversation between past and present, shed new light on the craft of writing, and introduce some intriguing and talented authors and their work.
Published by Black Inc. in association with the University of Melbourne and State Library Victoria.
In the Writers on Writers series, leading authors reflect on an Australian writer who has inspired and fascinated them. Provocative and crisp, these books start a fresh conversation between past and present, shed new light on the craft of writing, and introduce some intriguing and talented authors and their work.
Published by Black Inc. in association with the University of Melbourne and State Library Victoria.
- GenresNonfictionAustralia
46 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2022
12 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
About the author
Geraldine Brooks
56 books10.6k followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Australian-born Geraldine Brooks is an author and journalist who grew up in the Western suburbs of Sydney, and attended Bethlehem College Ashfield and the University of Sydney. She worked as a reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald for three years as a feature writer with a special interest in environmental issues.
In 1982 she won the Greg Shackleton Australian News Correspondents scholarship to the journalism master’s program at Columbia University in New York City. Later she worked for The Wall Street Journal, where she covered crises in the the Middle East, Africa, and the Balkans.
She was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in fiction in 2006 for her novel March. Her first novel, Year of Wonders, is an international bestseller, and People of the Book is a New York Times bestseller translated into 20 languages. She is also the author of the nonfiction works Nine Parts of Desire and Foreign Correspondence.
Brooks married author Tony Horwitz in Tourette-sur-Loup, France, in 1984. They had two sons– Nathaniel and Bizuayehu–and two dogs. They used to divide their time between their homes in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, and Sydney, Australia.
Australian-born Geraldine Brooks is an author and journalist who grew up in the Western suburbs of Sydney, and attended Bethlehem College Ashfield and the University of Sydney. She worked as a reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald for three years as a feature writer with a special interest in environmental issues.
In 1982 she won the Greg Shackleton Australian News Correspondents scholarship to the journalism master’s program at Columbia University in New York City. Later she worked for The Wall Street Journal, where she covered crises in the the Middle East, Africa, and the Balkans.
She was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in fiction in 2006 for her novel March. Her first novel, Year of Wonders, is an international bestseller, and People of the Book is a New York Times bestseller translated into 20 languages. She is also the author of the nonfiction works Nine Parts of Desire and Foreign Correspondence.
Brooks married author Tony Horwitz in Tourette-sur-Loup, France, in 1984. They had two sons– Nathaniel and Bizuayehu–and two dogs. They used to divide their time between their homes in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, and Sydney, Australia.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
July 6, 2023
When this popped up on my Kindle recommendations, I thought: Well, it'll be really interesting to see what a Black poet from Chicago thinks of this master chronicler of lower-class white Australian men. I quickly realized my error, that this is not Gwendolyn Brooks but rather Geraldine, about whom I knew nothing before reading this.
This essay consists of about ten sections of just a couple of pages each. I didn't learn a whole lot about him, but it's reassuring to see that other people admire the same things in his writing that I do -- that most of his characters are engaged in a constant battle to undo the damage that the world at large causes. She also notes that, while he is a gifted user of rhetoric and vocabulary, his characters are generally far less educated; somehow, he succeeds in conveying their complex emotional states that they cannot themselves describe.
The main interesting thing I learned was that Winton grew up in a deeply religious family; a family "that read the Scriptures the way my family read the daily newspapers: habitually, fervently, in the conviction that information important to the conduct of one's everyday life was contained there." I like the way she says that Winton "tries to fill a religon-shaped hole" that many Westerners now face -- a deep concern for our fellow humans and the environment, but no convictions that a higher power is going to help us solve our problems.
There, I just saved you five bucks.
This essay consists of about ten sections of just a couple of pages each. I didn't learn a whole lot about him, but it's reassuring to see that other people admire the same things in his writing that I do -- that most of his characters are engaged in a constant battle to undo the damage that the world at large causes. She also notes that, while he is a gifted user of rhetoric and vocabulary, his characters are generally far less educated; somehow, he succeeds in conveying their complex emotional states that they cannot themselves describe.
The main interesting thing I learned was that Winton grew up in a deeply religious family; a family "that read the Scriptures the way my family read the daily newspapers: habitually, fervently, in the conviction that information important to the conduct of one's everyday life was contained there." I like the way she says that Winton "tries to fill a religon-shaped hole" that many Westerners now face -- a deep concern for our fellow humans and the environment, but no convictions that a higher power is going to help us solve our problems.
There, I just saved you five bucks.
October 12, 2024
This is more of an essay than a book. It is not an in-depth analysis of Tim Winton’s writing, far from it. Brooks uses it to take full fisted swipes at literary academics and their clinical biopsies of authors’ works.
Below is an academic’s response.
https://theconversation.com/when-gera...
I am somewhat on Brook’s side in this debate. I have read texts for the pure enjoyment of the language, the setting, the plot and the characters and later read an elaborate explanation of the themes, the symbolism and the imagery. My response was, “I just loved the book.”
I have bought and read all of Tim Winton’s books since he first came onto the Australian literary scene in the early 1980s. He emerged as a straggly, surf bleached hair young author and stayed that way till people realised that he had become a grandfather.
You don’t need a thesaurus when reading Winton. You might need a guide to Australian colloquialisms and idioms
His books are boisterous as well as lyrical. He writes warm-hearted depictions of family life as well as varied characters dealing with the difficulties of life.
He said “I wrote the book the same way I write all the books: just for play, to find out, to make a story and as an excuse to write about landscapes that I love and the people who come out of those landscapes.”
Winton’s writing captures the Australian identity so masterfully. He writes as a white working-class Australian male (et ego guilty as charged) He writes not as a loudmouth beer swilling chauvinistic male but as a family orientated, environmentally conscious, socially aware person who writes Australian stories, using Australian English with believable, multidimensional characters.
In this essay Brooks writes of meetings with Winton and her affection for his writing. She discusses a few of his books and the interesting characters who inhabit Winton’s literary world. She tells of Winton’s strong Christian conviction. She insightfully mentions characters and scene from a variety of Winton’s books. Brook’s essay has the feel of a big sister writing a homage to her talented younger brother.
This is a brief and affectionate account of Tim Winton and his books.
Below is an academic’s response.
https://theconversation.com/when-gera...
I am somewhat on Brook’s side in this debate. I have read texts for the pure enjoyment of the language, the setting, the plot and the characters and later read an elaborate explanation of the themes, the symbolism and the imagery. My response was, “I just loved the book.”
I have bought and read all of Tim Winton’s books since he first came onto the Australian literary scene in the early 1980s. He emerged as a straggly, surf bleached hair young author and stayed that way till people realised that he had become a grandfather.
You don’t need a thesaurus when reading Winton. You might need a guide to Australian colloquialisms and idioms
His books are boisterous as well as lyrical. He writes warm-hearted depictions of family life as well as varied characters dealing with the difficulties of life.
He said “I wrote the book the same way I write all the books: just for play, to find out, to make a story and as an excuse to write about landscapes that I love and the people who come out of those landscapes.”
Winton’s writing captures the Australian identity so masterfully. He writes as a white working-class Australian male (et ego guilty as charged) He writes not as a loudmouth beer swilling chauvinistic male but as a family orientated, environmentally conscious, socially aware person who writes Australian stories, using Australian English with believable, multidimensional characters.
In this essay Brooks writes of meetings with Winton and her affection for his writing. She discusses a few of his books and the interesting characters who inhabit Winton’s literary world. She tells of Winton’s strong Christian conviction. She insightfully mentions characters and scene from a variety of Winton’s books. Brook’s essay has the feel of a big sister writing a homage to her talented younger brother.
This is a brief and affectionate account of Tim Winton and his books.
October 31, 2022
Home is the first
and final poem.
- Les Murray, 'Home Suite'
Fav quotes:
I had never read a novel that grazed so closely against my own lived experience. (page 10)
'The truth is,' he [Winton] wrote in Island Home: A Landscape Memoir, 'a family and a hometown will afford you material to last a lifetime.' - page 20
'Every character is a version of me,' he [Winton] told Andrew Denton, speaking of his stories in The Turning. 'There's a bit of me in every one of them, and especially the really creepy ones.' - page 22
But his family's faith set them apart, alienated even from their closest relatives. Perhaps because of that barrier of difference, Winton landed in a sweet spot for a fiction writer: able to pass unnoticed, safely camouflaged among the mob, but strange enough to benefit from an outsider's instinct, an outlier sensibility. - page 26
LIke Dillard, when Winton walks in the natural world his left foot says 'Glory' and his right foot says 'Amen' with every step. - page 46
and final poem.
- Les Murray, 'Home Suite'
Fav quotes:
I had never read a novel that grazed so closely against my own lived experience. (page 10)
'The truth is,' he [Winton] wrote in Island Home: A Landscape Memoir, 'a family and a hometown will afford you material to last a lifetime.' - page 20
'Every character is a version of me,' he [Winton] told Andrew Denton, speaking of his stories in The Turning. 'There's a bit of me in every one of them, and especially the really creepy ones.' - page 22
But his family's faith set them apart, alienated even from their closest relatives. Perhaps because of that barrier of difference, Winton landed in a sweet spot for a fiction writer: able to pass unnoticed, safely camouflaged among the mob, but strange enough to benefit from an outsider's instinct, an outlier sensibility. - page 26
LIke Dillard, when Winton walks in the natural world his left foot says 'Glory' and his right foot says 'Amen' with every step. - page 46
August 23, 2023
An interesting short essay collection about Tim Winton, with thoughtful comments on all his novels. Winton has won four Miles Franklin Awards.
On page 8 Brooks writes, “Three pages into ‘Cloudstreet’ and I could see it, smell it, taste it. Home. I could hear it: our idiom, in all its insouciant vitality, delivered with uncompromising fidelity. Australian writing. Cringe-free. No fucks given if people in New York and London don’t get it. Tim Winton was writing for us.”
It is why I am a big fan of Winton. He writes in a language and of a land I am very familiar with.
This book was first published in 2022.
On page 8 Brooks writes, “Three pages into ‘Cloudstreet’ and I could see it, smell it, taste it. Home. I could hear it: our idiom, in all its insouciant vitality, delivered with uncompromising fidelity. Australian writing. Cringe-free. No fucks given if people in New York and London don’t get it. Tim Winton was writing for us.”
It is why I am a big fan of Winton. He writes in a language and of a land I am very familiar with.
This book was first published in 2022.
March 1, 2023
In true Australian spirit Brooks manages to ‘stick it’ to academia regarding literary criticism. She also gives some analysis (albeit brief) about Winton’s genius use of vernacular and the power obtained in various non-grammatical constructions that are able to deftly convey the Australian voice and idiomatic speech.
However, l wanted more ‘On Winton’ and less on Brooks. I felt uncomfortably put off by Brooks’ talk of England, America and her time in journalism as much as denials about her swimming ability. Her discussion about Winton and religion, and his faith growing up in a fiercely evangelical home was deprecated when contrasted with her own atheism. Then, there was the revelation of her religious conversion at marriage because “she was not about to end her husband’s lineage after it had survived exile, pogrom and Shoah”. This personal choice, while noble in itself, as a declaration seemed somewhat self-congratulatory and vain: foreign concepts to a self effacing Australian.
Tim Winton’s writing captures the essence of Australia like no other living author and his writing is breathtaking and poetic in scale and form. I admire Geraldine Brooks’ novels and non-fiction. While she is Australian born and one of Australia’s most lauded authors, she barely connotes ‘Australian’ and her novels do not speak of, or to, Australia. That is all fine and perhaps that was the point; a worldly, cosmopolitan writer was required to write about the most audaciously and elementally Australian of writers. But why? To give contrast and/or credibility to Winton’s talent in line with his Australian-ness? This essay, while containing much of merit, was also, to me, strangely reminiscent of cultural cringe.
However, l wanted more ‘On Winton’ and less on Brooks. I felt uncomfortably put off by Brooks’ talk of England, America and her time in journalism as much as denials about her swimming ability. Her discussion about Winton and religion, and his faith growing up in a fiercely evangelical home was deprecated when contrasted with her own atheism. Then, there was the revelation of her religious conversion at marriage because “she was not about to end her husband’s lineage after it had survived exile, pogrom and Shoah”. This personal choice, while noble in itself, as a declaration seemed somewhat self-congratulatory and vain: foreign concepts to a self effacing Australian.
Tim Winton’s writing captures the essence of Australia like no other living author and his writing is breathtaking and poetic in scale and form. I admire Geraldine Brooks’ novels and non-fiction. While she is Australian born and one of Australia’s most lauded authors, she barely connotes ‘Australian’ and her novels do not speak of, or to, Australia. That is all fine and perhaps that was the point; a worldly, cosmopolitan writer was required to write about the most audaciously and elementally Australian of writers. But why? To give contrast and/or credibility to Winton’s talent in line with his Australian-ness? This essay, while containing much of merit, was also, to me, strangely reminiscent of cultural cringe.
July 18, 2023
Very easy read and interesting insights on Tim Wintons style of writing. Need to read more of his books.
January 20, 2023
Brooks knows her Winton. Would have liked more on the books, but I enjoyed the focus on the writing itself. That's what this series is about, after all. A hymn to Cloudstreet and Australian stories generally. 'Of the Aussie, by the Aussie, for the Aussie.'
June 18, 2023
Two of my favourite authors. I loved reading Geraldine Brooks’s thoughts on Tim Winton. It gave us a glimpse of her as much as she gave us of him.
It made me want to read his books all over again…….
It made me want to read his books all over again…….
July 14, 2024
Lovely revisiting of fave Winton characters and some great reminders and tips about the craft of writing which both Brooks and Winton nail.
July 15, 2023
'A gift of an essay' is how the Goodreads blurb begins, and it's a fair description. Geraldine Brooks describes herself as a writer of historical fiction, committed to storytelling and characters that connect with readers.
She admires Tim Winton for his strength as a storyteller, as a brilliant writer of place (in his case Western Australia) and creator of character. Her chapter headings give you a clue:Books in which People do things and Have Things Happen to Them' - don't expect literary abstraction and meta-fiction here. There will be strong narrative with People.
Brooks gives examples of what she calls his 'perfect craft', where prose does the work of poetry.
In the section headed 'Words, just Words', she leads off with 'Of all the technical feats I most admire in Winton's work, it's the way he uses words to convey the inner lives of characters who don't have access to an extensive vocabulary,' and moves on to discuss The Shepherd's Hut damaged teenager, Jaxie.
The big question that Jaxie brings up for her is would a bit more attention, a bit more care, more tenderness, less turning away, help 'shattered people gather up their broken bits? ... winton, steeped in the idea of grace, cries out for our resistance [to aversion, rejection of the damaged]. Chuck a hand back, he suggests. Let's try for less aggro, more agape.'
This is the work great writers do. They reveal us to ourselves. They show us who we are, and who we might become. they stand us up to where they light is bright- harsh, even - and hold the mirror so close that we can't look away. there's immense consolation it. when we read we know that someone else has failed in all the ways we have failed. someone else has felt exactly as we do. Someone else knows what this is like. We're not alone.'
This is the second book/essay I've read in the Writers on Writers series, the first being Michelle de Kretser's excellent essay on Shirley Hazzard and I'll pursue more. The publishers blurb description: 'leading authors reflect on an Australian writer who has inspired and fascinated them. Provocative and crisp, these books start a fresh conversation between past and present, shed new light on the craft of writing, and introduce some intriguing and talented authors and their work.
Published by Black Inc. in association with the University of Melbourne and State Library Victoria'.
She admires Tim Winton for his strength as a storyteller, as a brilliant writer of place (in his case Western Australia) and creator of character. Her chapter headings give you a clue:Books in which People do things and Have Things Happen to Them' - don't expect literary abstraction and meta-fiction here. There will be strong narrative with People.
Brooks gives examples of what she calls his 'perfect craft', where prose does the work of poetry.
In the section headed 'Words, just Words', she leads off with 'Of all the technical feats I most admire in Winton's work, it's the way he uses words to convey the inner lives of characters who don't have access to an extensive vocabulary,' and moves on to discuss The Shepherd's Hut damaged teenager, Jaxie.
The big question that Jaxie brings up for her is would a bit more attention, a bit more care, more tenderness, less turning away, help 'shattered people gather up their broken bits? ... winton, steeped in the idea of grace, cries out for our resistance [to aversion, rejection of the damaged]. Chuck a hand back, he suggests. Let's try for less aggro, more agape.'
This is the work great writers do. They reveal us to ourselves. They show us who we are, and who we might become. they stand us up to where they light is bright- harsh, even - and hold the mirror so close that we can't look away. there's immense consolation it. when we read we know that someone else has failed in all the ways we have failed. someone else has felt exactly as we do. Someone else knows what this is like. We're not alone.'
This is the second book/essay I've read in the Writers on Writers series, the first being Michelle de Kretser's excellent essay on Shirley Hazzard and I'll pursue more. The publishers blurb description: 'leading authors reflect on an Australian writer who has inspired and fascinated them. Provocative and crisp, these books start a fresh conversation between past and present, shed new light on the craft of writing, and introduce some intriguing and talented authors and their work.
Published by Black Inc. in association with the University of Melbourne and State Library Victoria'.
December 30, 2024
Putting two great writers together has enormous potential and probably some risks but Geraldine Brooks navigates Tim Winton’s work in an intelligent and respectful manner. She goes to the heart of what is great writing and how it makes us feel. She gives just enough of his personal life to make his work more intelligible. She knows the Winton’s huge assembly of work has attracted criticism from academics, especially his women and she leads us through this to the essence of his books. A worthwhile counterpoint to much that has been written about him.
January 2, 2023
What a great idea this Writers on Writers series is! I'll have to read more...
Geraldine Brooks gives clear insights into the writing and person of Tim Winton. As a huge Winton fan this was always going to appeal to me in a big way. For me he is the quintessential Australian writer with his thoughtful observances of our society, class, religion and especially nature. I wanted more! Brooks' journalist background makes this series of essays so readable.
Geraldine Brooks gives clear insights into the writing and person of Tim Winton. As a huge Winton fan this was always going to appeal to me in a big way. For me he is the quintessential Australian writer with his thoughtful observances of our society, class, religion and especially nature. I wanted more! Brooks' journalist background makes this series of essays so readable.
April 20, 2025
I have enjoyed Brooks novels and was thrilled to see her comment on one of my favourite authors. She truly sees Winton for what he is and his skill. She rebuffs senseless literary criticism, to see his gifts. I appreciated that although she does not share his faith she gave a fair account of it and its place in his novels. The same for his passion for the planet and its creatures. If you want an introduction to Winton from a trusted friend this is it.
February 7, 2023
I’m a bit fascinated by Tim Winton, the author and the man. I was drawn to read this after a week at the beach where I too had a “Loonie” experience.
A beautiful composite of his characters, I smouldering have like a bit more insight into Tim the man.
A beautiful composite of his characters, I smouldering have like a bit more insight into Tim the man.
May 9, 2023
Brook’s thoughts on the writings of Tim Winton. As I am a fan of both writers, I enjoyed the read. Shame it was so short. I now need to reread some of the books mentioned by Brooks. Part of the Writers on Writers series.
January 16, 2023
I underlined (nearly) every word.
January 21, 2023
75%.like me short. But unlike me, insightful. And if like Mulga Bill, I get the writing craze I think I'll never be a Winton Tour de force but rather stuck in the pelaton.
January 31, 2023
An excellent writer providing some refreshing and insightful reflections on my favourite writer. What is there to not like about this book?
May 9, 2023
Great summary and comment on a good Australian writer.
June 6, 2024
A fine examination of Winton and other Australian writers plus Australian attitudes to many things including literature, education, racism and religion. Highly recommended.
June 12, 2024
Beautiful insights from a top Australian writer on the significance and & importance of a National Australian Treasure...Tim Winton. Much Appreciated. 💞
November 4, 2024
I read this as part of my research for discussing Cloudstreet in BC. I found some useful information and ideas to explore, and I enjoyed this long form essay on a writer who tends to avoid the spotlight.
December 10, 2024
“Browsing my local bookstore, I came across Cloudstreet. They didn’t have a lot of Australian books in the Hampstead Waterstones. An occasional Keneally; a Carey, perhaps. Winton? The name was new to me. I took the book home.”
In Geraldine Brooks on Tim Winton, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Geraldine Books writes about the first time she discovered Cloudstreet by Tim Winton and how she was instantly taken by his “poetic, prayerful” style and language choice. So began the start of her admiration of Winton. Brooks reflects on how, since discovering Winton’s books, his style has inspired her to challenge her writing. In her essay, Brooks analyses Winton’s characters, descriptions of the Western Australian landscape, and the similarities that appear in his books...(to keep reading this review, go to https://www.otherterrainjournal.com.a...)
Thank you to Black. Inc for my copy
In Geraldine Brooks on Tim Winton, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Geraldine Books writes about the first time she discovered Cloudstreet by Tim Winton and how she was instantly taken by his “poetic, prayerful” style and language choice. So began the start of her admiration of Winton. Brooks reflects on how, since discovering Winton’s books, his style has inspired her to challenge her writing. In her essay, Brooks analyses Winton’s characters, descriptions of the Western Australian landscape, and the similarities that appear in his books...(to keep reading this review, go to https://www.otherterrainjournal.com.a...)
Thank you to Black. Inc for my copy
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews