On a Bright Hillside in Paradise, tells the story of a family of convict descendants in the back-blocks of Tasmania. They live on a farm in a place called Paradise, and lead hard-scrabble lives. The drama begins when strangers arrive, Christian Brethren evangelists who hold big revival meetings in local barns.
On a Bright Hillside in Paradise tackles big questions of faith and family. But it remains grounded in the dreams and strivings of its beautifully drawn characters. Higgs takes lives that history might have judged as small. She imbues them with immense dignity and complex and compelling inner lives.
In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Annette Higgs about the journey from idea to story in a first novel. She discusses the fascinating family connection she has to the characters in the story and the impact of the arrival of the Christian Brethren on the isolated communities of Tasmania.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Annette is a writer living in Sydney, Australia. She was born in Tasmania, leaving on her 18th birthday to study literature and law at the Australian National University in Canberra. She has lived, worked and studied in Sydney, London and Italy. Annette holds a Masters in Creative Writing and a Doctorate of Arts from the University of Sydney.
A Pushcart nominee, her short work has appeared in literary journals and anthologies in Australia, the USA, the UK and India. Her novel On a Bright Hillside in Paradise won the 2022 Penguin Literary Prize and was published by Penguin in 2023.
