Book Chat - All the Words We Know - Bruce Nash in conversation with Barbie Robinson

Join us for an evening of crime and intrigue with Bruce Nash in conversation with Barbie Robinson from Living Arts Canberra about Bruce's latest novel All the Words We Know. 

In All the Words We Know, the seemingly quiet corridors of Rose’s nursing home have become the backdrop for murder. Grappling with dementia, she navigates the complexities of this challenge to embark on a mission to unravel the mystery of her friend’s death from falling out a window.

While its setting and supporting cast are memorable – The Scare Manager, The Angry Nurse and the Nice Boy who Mops the Floors - All the Words We Know belongs to Rose, who is equal parts hilarious, vexing, sharp, courageous, and completely unique. Rose’s life may have been reduced to the confines of her bed, her wheelchair and her walker, but she is infinitely larger than her limitations.

Hellbent on understanding the sinister goings-on around her and overcoming the dangers that threaten her, Rose must find a way to access her memories, at the lost centre of which is the truth about the great love of her life.

Bruce Nash was awarded a 2022 Varuna Residential Fellowship for an earlier draft of this manuscript; indeed, he has enjoyed three such fellowships for his work. His previous books The Long River of Cat Fisher (2020) and An Island in the Lake (2019) were published by Australian Scholarly Publishing. He has been shortlisted for several writing awards and his short fiction has appeared in Meanjin, Australian Short Stories and anthologies. Bruce is a retired teacher and now lives on the southern New South Wales coast.