Affirm acquires VPLA-shortlisted short-story collection

Friday, 8 March 2019 Books+Publishing

Affirm Press has acquired world rights to the debut short-story collection by Victorian author Wayne Marshall, which was a runner-up in the 2019 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards in the unpublished manuscript category.

The collection, called Shirl, comprises a range of what-if scenarios involving themes of Australiana, which are ‘taken to fabulist and comedic extremes’.

Rights were sold by Martin Shaw of Alex Adsett Publishing Services.

Shaw describes the collection as ‘a remarkable and assured debut which put me in mind of authors like Julie Koh, Ryan O’Neill and Nic Low—as well as the early George Saunders. Wayne uses absurdist humour to playfully skewer some of the foundations of both contemporary Australian society and modern masculinity’.

Affirm publisher Martin Hughes said: ‘Wayne Marshall’s stories might be short but they pack an incredible punch and I can’t believe how strongly each one has stayed with me. Shirl is superbly inventive and powerful and entertaining. We can’t wait to share this collection, and launch Wayne’s book-publishing career.’

Shirl will be published in early 2020.

Category: Local news Rights and acquisitions