Shortlisted for the 2013 Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award
PRAISE FOR TARCUTTA WAKE
‘Rowe’s stories are succinct, her polished prose giving the reader space for personal involvement and association. A worthwhile read.’ Launceston Examiner
‘Beautifully crafted, powerful stories that made me stop and reflect, and remember. This collection is one that will have the reader spend as much time thinking as actually reading.’ ANZ LitLovers LitBlog
‘It’s not only clever, it’s profound, it’s beautiful. And it’s emblematic of what is a simply wonderful collection: twenty-five works that erupt in just over one hundred pages without novelistic tangents, without ornamentation, but also without relying on any cybernetic formula for brevity. They are fingers and hands that, like great narrative lyrics, trace the shape of emotion and experience, they are visceral, they are all touch, all crescendo. Kapow.’ Melbourne Review
‘Tarcutta Wake showcases Rowe's gift for minimalism … talent and vision.’ Saturday Age
‘This little book packs a punch well above its weight.’ Sydney Morning Herald
‘Her prose has the brittle shimmer of poetry. These curiously crafted stories are tangential, risk-taking and memorable.’ Sunday Canberra Times
‘Rowe writes very short stories better than anyone I know.’ The Weekend West (Perth)
‘These are sophisticated tales. [Rowe is] stylish, with an eye for smaller details.’ Weekend Australian
‘Rowe is a wonderful talent who deserves to be read more widely.' Overland
‘What a love of words, ideas and possibilities leap from these pages. Every reader will find a treasure trove, little things to tuck away in a pocket like a piece of folded paper.’ The Victorian Writer
‘Rowe is that rare thing, a poet completely at home in prose which asks to be read aloud. Rowe is capable of compounding an astringent and powerful vocalism from closely observed moments and often percussive sounds. This is a seductive and rewarding collection.’ The Ember
‘Rowe has a rare and specific talent with words and with prose, which is apparent from the outset.’ M/C Reviews
‘Rowe writes with a maturity of a much published novelist.’ Bonzer
‘Tarcutta Wake is an exploration into a more mature voice that is subdued, measured, and compact.’ Stralian Stories
‘A beautiful and haunting collection of very short stories.’ 4ZZZ ‘The Book Club’
‘The settings are edgy, but each has a kind of gritty glamour. The stories are mysterious and satisfying … [and] “Raising the Wreck” is brilliant.’ Australian Book Review
‘The writing is all beautiful – breathtakingly so. This collection of short stories, snippets and slices pares back the layers of her characters’ lives to describe – with metaphor and indirect gaze – the human ache to be the weft in something’s weave.’ Rochford Street Review