AustLit

'His mother called it “whispering language”. She would whisper the words of their freshwater people to her children at night, because it was part of a forbidden culture. When the welfare people came, she hid these children beneath a stockman’s house. Storytelling would be the family gift passed on to these kids, and Roy Page, the youngest of eight, told tales that inspired three of his own sons to become famous performers and storytellers.' (Introduction)

'David Cohen’s imagination, as evidenced by his short-story collection, The Hunter and other stories of men, is a truly remarkable thing. The titular story is narrated by a property developer whose construction site is plagued by an influx of ibis. He’s also troubled by the disappearance of his old site manager, but replacement Henrik is determined to evict the birds and tries drones, starter pistols and Ed Sheeran at high volume, but nothing works. When the body of Henrik’s predecessor is discovered, riddled with beak punctures, Henrik declares war.'  (Introduction)