Indisputably one of the top wildlife and environmental writers in Australia, Inga Simpson (also an accomplished photographer) captures Country, land, climate issues, species extinction, habitat and the sheer wonder of individual animals, birds, fish, insects, plants, fungi and all the elements of the natural world with a focussed, pitch-perfect writing lens entangled with stories of humans and their relationship with the earth, always encouraging thoughtful and challenging questions and debate about the world and our place in it. Her collection of short stories ONCE WE WERE WILDLIFE (Hachette 2026) is a sublime example of her stunning literary prose, her keen eye for detail and her extraordinary descriptive ability.
The stories are varied, including a verse poem, some with human protagonists and some with wild creatures at the centre, a few with a touch of magical realism, poignancy or whimsy. As always with a collection of writing, some stories will resonate more strongly with some people than others. My favourites are BLUE CRANE (with its unexpected ending), POACHED (with its incredibly tense and devastating ending) and especially THE GREAT WALK (a poignant, haunting, tender and moving tale). But other readers will find their own favourites.
Protagonists are young or old, wise or naïve, courageous or sly, furry or winged, predator or prey, alert or dispassionate, ambitious or content, restless or settled. The dialogue is authentic, expressive and meaningful, and the settings are atmospheric, evocative and haunting. A beautiful collection from one of our wisest, deliberate and most beguiling authors.