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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
'The Tree of Ecstasy and Unbearable Sadness is an allegorical story of a boy's experience of psychosis, with mental illness represented as a fantastical tree whose flowers are ecstasy and whose fruit is unbearable sadness. Stunning drawings and paintings lead the reader through the boy's early discovery of his strangeness, his surrender to the disease (an all-consuming tree), the ensuing psychotic journey, and eventual self-acceptance. The recording of a full orchestral score composed by the author-illustrator accompany the book.' (Publication summary)
Notes
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This was the first release after Dirt Lane Books became an imprint of WestWords.
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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Matt Ottley : Maestro
Joy Lawn
(interviewer),
2022
single work
interview
— Appears in: Magpies : Talking About Books for Children , March vol. 37 no. 1 2022; (p. 8-10) 'Joy Lawn interviews Matt Ottley in a brief retrospective of his books and to celebrate the publication of his new masterwork, The Tree of Ecstasy and Unbearable Sadness.' (Introduction) -
Writer, Illustrator, Musician and Composer Matt Ottley
2022
single work
column
— Appears in: The Saturday Paper , 12-18 March 2022; 'The latest book by the award-winning writer, illustrator, musician and composer Matt Ottley is a stunning exploration of mental illness. By Jennifer Higgie.' (Introduction)
-
Writer, Illustrator, Musician and Composer Matt Ottley
2022
single work
column
— Appears in: The Saturday Paper , 12-18 March 2022; 'The latest book by the award-winning writer, illustrator, musician and composer Matt Ottley is a stunning exploration of mental illness. By Jennifer Higgie.' (Introduction) -
Matt Ottley : Maestro
Joy Lawn
(interviewer),
2022
single work
interview
— Appears in: Magpies : Talking About Books for Children , March vol. 37 no. 1 2022; (p. 8-10) 'Joy Lawn interviews Matt Ottley in a brief retrospective of his books and to celebrate the publication of his new masterwork, The Tree of Ecstasy and Unbearable Sadness.' (Introduction)
Awards
- 2023 winner World Fantasy Award — Special Award — Professional
- 2023 longlisted APA Book Design Awards — Best Designed Children's Illustrated Book designed by Hannah Janzen, Matt Ottley, and Tina Wilson.
- 2023 CBCA Book of the Year Awards — Notable Book — Picture Book
- 2023 shortlisted Victorian Premier's Literary Awards — Prize for Writing for Young Adults
- 2022 winner Aurealis Awards for Excellence in Australian Speculative Fiction — Best Illustrated Book / Graphic Novel
Last amended 29 Feb 2024 13:27:49
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