You’re invited to a celebration of The Idealist, the new work of fiction by the celebrated novelist and essayist Nicholas Jose, set against the turmoil of the independence movement in East Timor.

The event will take place on Wednesday 25 October at The Cross Art Projects in Kings Cross. The Idealist will be launched by Julia Leigh, the internationally acclaimed author of the novels The Hunter and Disquiet, as well as a playwright, memoirist, filmmaker and New Yorker cartoonist.

Attendees are invited to arrive at 6pm for a 6.30pm start. Copies of The Idealist will be sold on the night through Giramondo Publishing, with light refreshments provided.

The Cross Art Projects will also be displaying a selection of documentary prints (from Elastic/Borracha/Elastico, Timor-Leste/Australia Mobile Contemporary Artists’ Residency, 2014) and tais/weavings (courtesy private collection).

This event is free, but RSVP is essential as space is limited. Please RSVP on this page as soon as possible to avoid missing out.

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ABOUT THE IDEALIST

Set in Australia, East Timor and Washington in the lead up to the East Timorese independence referendum in 1999, The Idealist is a novel which explores the entanglement of private and public life: it is a political mystery, a portrait of a marriage, a reflection on friendship, and a study of a personality as it breaks down under pressure.

Jake, an Australian defence analyst, is torn between his support for the people of East Timor, whose commitment to independence in the face of mounting violence he has experienced personally, and his responsibility for and complicity in the actions of his government. When he is found dead in the garage of his Washington home, his wife Anne is determined to see justice done. Atmospheric, tender, subtle in its portrayal of conflicting allegiances, The Idealist takes the reader into the space of the personal and political with a rare artistry.

Order the book.

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ABOUT NICHOLAS JOSE

Nick Jose has published seven novels, and three collections of short stories. His non-fiction includes Chinese Whispers: Cultural Essays and an acclaimed memoir, Black Sheep: Journey to Borroloola. He has written widely on contemporary Asian and Australian culture. He was Cultural Counsellor at the Australian Embassy Beijing from 1987-1990 and Chair of Australian Studies at Harvard University. He is an Adjunct Professor in the Writing and Society Research Centre, Western Sydney University and Emeritus Professor of English and Creative Writing at The University of Adelaide.

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ABOUT JULIA LEIGH

Julia Leigh is the author of the internationally acclaimed novels The Hunter (New York Times Notable Book of the Year) and Disquiet (Encore Award, Shirley Jackson Award). She published a memoir Avalanche which she later adapted for the stage, the play having a world premiere at the Barbican in 2019. Her film Sleeping Beauty was nominated for the Palme D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. She is a New Yorker cartoonist.

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