Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Lifestyle
Rosamund Brennan

UNCOVERED: Craig silvey boys want to feel as though their experiences and inner world are validated and important | History Defined

Australian novelist Craig Silvey at Booyeembara Park, Fremantle, Western Australia.
Australian novelist Craig Silvey at Booyeembara Park, Fremantle, Western Australia. Photograph: Tace Stevens/The Guardian


It’s a blustery morning at Fremantle’s Booyembara Park. Rain hammers down in sideways sheets, and the horizon is a blurred smudge of green and grey. Hardly ideal conditions to interview author Craig Silvey; we can barely hear each other over the downpour.

“Lovely day for a walk!” Silvey shouts from beneath his polka-dot umbrella. He points to his sodden shoes with a grin. “I’m squelching. Should’ve worn some gumboots … we’re like Shackleton out here,” he laughs.

On sunnier days at “Boo Park”, as Silvey calls it, the 43-year-old and his partner, Clare Testoni, stroll the lake with their four-month-old twins, Hazel and Stella, while their three-year-old daughter, Matilda, hoons around on her push-bike.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.