Thank You, Gabe

Thank You, Gabe entertains you with 24 memorable and vividly written fictional short stories ranging from magical realism to humour, from love and loss to bittersweet observations of human nature and survival in a fractured and turbulent world.

You'll meet an international group of vibrantly drawn contemporary and historical characters who'll come alive for you: an Australian Aboriginal university lecturer, a Korean chocolatier, Dutch shipwreck survivors, a world renowned glass artist, Mexican siblings caught up in the Tlatelolco massacre in 1968, and even Czech writer Franz Kafka's sister, the unforgettable heroine Ottla Davidov? among many others.

The opening story, Thank You, Gabe, from which the collection draws its title, describes how renowned octogenarian Australian writer, Jon Janacek, reacts when he is shortlisted for the prestigious Dublin International Literary Award. Chosen for his latest historical novel, The Life and Times of Michiel de Ruyter, the greatest Dutch Lieutenant-Admiral of them all, he refuses to be interviewed. He sends a humorous blog to everyone interested in the genesis of the novel instead. Tongue in cheek, he describes his adventures as a nineteen-year-old setting foot in the Netherlands for the first time, with characteristic dry humour and a philosophic twist.

Here are some delightful examples of writing at its best: passionate, insightful, historically accurate and deeply felt.