Print preview Close

Showing 4 results

Archival description
Hall, Ben, 1837-1865
Advanced search options
Print preview View:

Trevor Shearston Papers

  • UQFL485
  • Collection
  • 1966-2015

Drafts, correspondence, research notes, and photographs for novels, screenplays and a short story written by Trevor Shearston. There are drafts for his radio documentary feature 'The New Guinea letters of John Green', aired in 1984. The screenplay for 'Snowdrop' (later filmed as 'Envy') had various working titles. Sticks that kill was initially preceded by a stage play call "Goaribari". A straight young back had the working titles of "The old magic touch" and the "Walk novel".

Arranged into Series :
Series A: Something in the blood [short story collection] (1979)
Series B: Sticks that kill [novel] (1983)
Series C: White lies [novel] (1986)
Series D: Correspondence with University of Queensland Press
Series E: A straight young back [novel] (2000)
Series F: Drafts for 'Walk novel'and 'The old magic touch' (A straight young back [novel])
Series G: Tinder [novel] (2002)
Series H: Dead birds [novel] (2007)
Series I: Concertinas [novel] (1988)
Series J: Snowdrop [screenplay] - filmed as Envy [motion picture] (1999)
Series K: New Guinea letters of John Green [radio documentary] (1984)
Series L: Short stories and dramatic works, published and unpublished, 1966 to 1995
Series M: Research files on Papua New Guinea
Series N: Game [screenplay]
Series O: Game [novel] (2013)
Series P: Photographs for Game [screenplay]
Series Q: Ben Hall realia

Shearston, Trevor

Game [novel] (2013)

Shearston first conceived of Game as a screenplay in the mid-1990s. He notes that “it failed to find production money. The first prose version was a novel for young adults. In subsequent drafts it became a novel for adults”. The novel, published by Allen & Unwin, tells the story of the last days in the life of bushranger Ben Hall. Hall wants to quit the game of bushranging and to get to know his son, Harry, who lives with his wife Biddy and Jack Turner, the man she left him for. The novel was longlisted for the 2014 Miles Franklin Award, shortlisted for the 2014 Christina Stead Award for Fiction 2013, shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Awards 2014 and shortlisted for the 2013 Colin Roderick Award.

Ben Hall realia

6 pieces of shards of crockery and glassware found by Shearston at the site of Halls house at Sandy Creek, near Grenfell. The house was burned down by the NSW Police in 1862. Shearston believes these shards are of plates that Hall ate from and bottles he drank from. Found during one of Shearstons scouting trips for the possible film production of the screenplay 'Game' in 1995 or 1997.