Michael Winkler for ‘Do you also dream of being other than what you are?’
Michael Winkler is a writer of fiction and non-fiction. His latest novel, Griefdogg, is about a Mildura water scientist who wants to live as the family pet, but discovers this gives him unwanted insights into secret grief. His previous novel Grimmish, shortlisted for the 2022 Miles Franklin Literary Award, was published in the UK, North America and Spain (in translation). Michael won the Calibre Prize for his essay ‘The Great Red Whale’ about the rock sometimes called Uluru, settler-First Nations relationships, Moby-Dick and mental illness. His journalism, reviews, short fiction and essays have been widely published and anthologised.
Do you also dream of being other than what you are?
Do you also dream of being other than what you are? is narrated by an ageing writer roiling against shattered masculine identity. A close-to-death life-sentence prisoner is released to the care of a policewoman living with PTSD. The proviso: revealing what happened to two murdered associates. In a heatwave between Christmas and New Year, they embark on a road trip to locate the bodies. When they meet a man called Danny Duende, a Lorca-inspired descent into darkness ensues – a catalyst for each character’s transformation. What does it mean to live with deep regret? How do you forgive the unforgivable?