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Trevor Shearston Papers
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White lies [novel] (1986)

This series contains drafts, notes, newspaper cuttings, and correspondence. While lies by Trevor Shearston was published by University of Queensland Press in 1986. It is set on a remote mission station in Papua New Guinea in the early 1970's and tells the story of the conflict between the powerful and primitive forces of the local Gewa sorcerer and healer, Sebo, and the missionary, Richard Wakely. Initial drafts of the novel were titled 'Black sheep', which Shearston also used to write a screenplay by the same name.

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Series L: Short stories and dramatic works, published and unpublished, 1966 to 1995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

Tinder [novel] (2002)

This series contains drafts, notes, newspaper cuttings, research material and correspondence. Tinder [novel], published by Scribner in 2002, had several working titles: 'The fire lovers', 'Fire in the hand', and 'Zippo : a cautionary tale'. Set in Katoomba and narrated by the central character, Graham, it follows his sexual awakening.

Sticks that kill [novel] (1983)

This series contains drafts, notes, newspaper cuttings, research material and correspondence. Sticks that kill was published by University of Queensland Press in 1983. Initially the novel was preceded by a stage play called Goaribari. This series includes drafts, handwritten notes, research material, cuttings of reviews from journals and magazines, and material removed or deleted from the novel.

The novel is set in British New Guinea and covers a very short period from 1900 to 1903. The story centers around John Rhys, newly arrived to Port Moresby, who works as clerk to the Government Secretary, Mr Ellison. During Rhys's time there the tensions of colonial government (with Britain and Australia both having responsibility for the region during this time) , missionaries, and the local population are revealed.

Something in the blood [short story collection] (1979)

This series contains drafts, notes, newspaper cuttings, and correspondence. Something in the blood was published by University of Queensland Press (UQP) in 1979. Consisting of fifteen (15) short stories set in Papua New Guinea before its Independence. The short story Drowning was first published in the New Guinea Quarterly, vol. 10, no. 3, 1975-76. Some stories contain short passages in Pidgin. The stories deal with the themes of local customs, attitudes, acts of aggression, missionaries, loneliness, and racism. Includes drafts, cuttings of reviews from journals and magazine, scripts of radio plays adapted from the stories, and related correspondence.

Snowdrop [screenplay] - filmed as Envy [motion picture] (1999)

This series contains drafts and notes. The screenplay for Snowdrop, with the working title of 'Little black dress', was not commissioned. Sheartson wrote it and it was taken up by Julie Money and Michael Cook. After disagreements between Shearston and Adelphi Films, the screenplay rights were bought by Julie Money and Michael Cook with Jeff Truman as the final writer of what became the film Envy. This film is also know as The new girlfriend. This series includes drafts of the various working titles, correspondence, and reviews.

New Guinea letters of John Green [radio documentary] (1984)

Featured over two broadcasts on ABC Radio 2 in 1984 was the radio documentary written by Trevor Shearston based on the letters from New Guinea of John Green to his family in Healesville in Victoria. Working titles included: The John Green Letters; Edge of the Empire : the New Guinea letters of John Green; and The John Green letters. John Green, fifth son of John and Mary Green, went to British New Guinea in 1892. In 1897 he was speared and then clubbed to death by Binandere people. During this four years in New Guinea John Green wrote more than 3200 pages of correspondence.

This series contains drafts, agreements and correspondence with ABC regarding scripts and production, and research material for the radio documentary feature.

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