Wake in Fright

The novel follows John Grant, a bonded schoolteacher stationed in an isolated outback town, who becomes trapped in the mining settlement of Bundanyabba ('The Yabba') after losing his money gambling.

Over six alcohol-fueled days, Grant spirals into self-destruction through violent kangaroo hunts, sexual encounters, and existential despair, exposing the brutal masculinity and psychological toll of outback isolation.

Cook's visceral prose captures the unrelenting heat and social decay of 1960s rural Australia.