The Celestials
Ian David Roberts
This story begins in Guangzhou China with the commencement of the Second Opium War. After the British bombardment of their home and city, two teenagers, a brother and younger sister, are sent by their parents to Tsin Chin Shan, the New Gold Mountain, in the colony of Victoria. As Chinese, the siblings and their compatriots are outsiders in the goldfields. They are on the margins of colonial society, as are the poor Irish settlers with whom they find they have interests in common. Their interaction with the notorious Kelly gang becomes a dangerous political alliance …
‘The Celestials is a marvel – radical and contemplative, adventurous and moving.’
‘The Celestials is profound meditation on the quality of human pilgrimage through the landscapes of China and Australia. An epic and rich narrative. Vitality, power, pathos and keenly humane observation, resonances which touch and elucidate the world of contemporary Australia.’
‘The Celestials is a love song to this country. As a Eurasian woman I was deeply moved.’
- Release
- Oct-2023
- ISBN
- 9781922952806
- RRP (AUD)
- $34.95
- Pages
- 238
- Format
- Hardback
- Category
- Historical Fiction
Ian David Roberts
Ian Roberts is a former CEO of the Melbourne International Festival of the Arts, Geelong Performing Arts Centre and Arts Centre Melbourne. His short stories have been published by Allen & Unwin and newspapers, including Neo Kosmos. The Celestials is his first novel.
Australian Scholarly Publishing
Australian Scholarly Publishing Pty Ltd is an independent publisher (est. 1991) with two international imprints: Australian Scholarly (ASP) and (for general books) Arden. ASP’s list covers the scholarly disciplines; Arden’s includes non-fiction and artbooks. Around 80 books are released yearly.
- Rights
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World
- Contact
-
Nick Walker
- Website