Randolph Stow: Critical Essays
Publisher: UWA Publishing
Published: February 2021
Genre: Non-Fiction
Apart from Tony Hassall’s work in the 1980s, Randolph Stow’s writing had received limited attention until his death in 2010, which, perhaps ironically, generated a wealth of detailed interest. This began with a substantial tribute at his alma mater, the University of Western Australia, organised by the UWA Westerly Centre and St George’s College, and they subsequently inaugurated an annual Stow Lecture. Subsequent milestones include The Land’s Meaning (2012), a selection of Stow’s poems brought together by John Kinsella, and Suzanne Falkiner’s biography (2016). Now Kate Leah Rendell has edited a collection of essays on Stow’s poetry and major novels, except for The Bystander. The contributors include Philip Mead, Martin Leer, Suzanne Falkiner, Catherine Noske and Nicholas Jose, and the essays vary between the straightforward and photographic to the academic. They reflect the current postcolonial zeitgeist and as a whole attest to Stow’s now unquestionable status as one of Australia’s most highly regarded and enigmatic writers.