Meet the author - Kaaron Warren

Listen to the recording of Kaaron Warren was in conversation with Daniel O'Malley on her new book, The Under History on the Experience ANU SoundCloud channel.

Canberra author Kaaron Warren will be in conversation with Daniel O'Malley on her new book, The Under History, a dark and magnificently inventive novel about the lengths a lone woman will go to protect her home, and the family history it hides within its walls.

Pera Sinclair was nine the day a pilot intentionally crashed his plane into her family's grand home, killing everyone inside. She was the girl who survived the tragedy. Over the decades Pera rebuilt the huge and rambling building, recreating what she had lost, each room telling a piece of the story of her life and that of the many people who died there, both before and after the disaster.. Death follows Pera, and she welcomes it in as an old friend. And while she doesn't believe in ghosts, she's not above telling a ghost story or two to those who come to visit Sinclair House.

As Pera shows a young family around her home on the last haunted house tour of the season, an unexpected group of men arrive. One she recognises, but the others are strangers. But she knows their type all too well. Dangerous men, who will hurt the family without a second thought, and who will keep an old woman alive only so long as she is useful. But, as she begins to show them around her home and reveal its secrets, the dangerous men will learn that she is far from helpless. Sinister and lyrical, The Under History is a haunting tale of loss, self-preservation and the darkness beneath.

“A gothic-tinged tale of supernatural horror and Scheherazade-like storytelling, with all the suspense and menace of page-turning crime fiction, for good measure” Sydney Morning Herald/The Age.

Kaaron Warren is the author of the novels, Slights, Walking the Tree, Mistification, The Grief Hole and Tide of Stone and the short story collections Through Splintered Walls, The Grinding House, DeadSea Fruit, Primer to Kaaron Warren and Calvaria Fell. Her short stories have won Shirley Jackson Awards, Australian Shadows Awards, Ditmar Awards and Aurealis Awards.

Daniel O'Malley, born and raised in Canberra, graduated from Michigan State University and earned a Master’s Degree in medieval history from Ohio State University. He is the author of the best-selling Checquy novels, notably The Rook, which became a television miniseries. Daniel now writes full time.

Colin Steele AM is the Convenor of the ANU/Canberra Times meet the author events.

This event is in association with Harry Hartog Bookshop. Books will be available for purchase. Pre-event book signings will be available from 5.30pm and again after the event.

Additional Information: 

Registration is required for this event.

Accessible parking spaces are available around campus should you require them.

To help keep everyone safe, please ensure that you are familiar with, and follow, the advice from ACT Health regarding COVID-19.

If you do not feel well, please refrain from attending this event.

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A podcast will be made available after the event.

Symposium by University House Wine bar (Shop 13, 152 University Avenue, Acton, which is just next to the Kambri cultural centre) will now be open for dining after meet the author events. Food and wine details at https://unihouse.anu.edu.au/eat/symposium/. No bookings necessary.

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