Emma Hope, Mercury
TASMANIA’S most acclaimed author Richard Flanagan yesterday launched his sixth and most personal novel to date, drawing on his father’s experiences as a prisoner of war.
The Narrow Road to the Deep North is a complex novel that depicts the cruelty of war but also tells a tender love story.
Flanagan’s late father, Arch, was a survivor of the Thai-Burma Railway, where 100,000 men died laying 400km of track. He was one of the Dunlop 1000, led by Weary Dunlop.
“I’ve been trying to write this novel for 12 years,” Flanagan said.
“I wrote five different versions of this book in order to find the final novel.
“And then I realised my father, in his 90s, was growing frail and weak and I had to somehow finish this book before he died.
Read the rest of Emma’s report, Mercury here
• Tasmanian Times will publish later this week, the launch speech by Richard Flanagan’s brother – Age writer and published author, Martin. Flanagan’s reponse and a report of the launch will also be published.
