{"title":"Alex Skovron","description":"\u003cp\u003eAlex Skovron’s works traverse the landscapes of \u003cstrong\u003eArts \u0026amp; Culture\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cem\u003eGeneral Fiction\u003c\/em\u003e, weaving narratives that explore identity, memory, and the human condition. From the evocative reflections found in \u003cem\u003eLetters from the Periphery\u003c\/em\u003e to the intricate storytelling of \u003cem\u003eThe Man Who Took to His Bed\u003c\/em\u003e, his writing offers a blend of thought-provoking themes and rich character depth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReaders can expect a contemplative and poetic style that illuminates personal and cultural intersections. Skovron’s novels and stories invite an intimate engagement with the subtleties of life, resonating with those who appreciate literary finesse and emotional insight.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-man-who-took-to-his-bed-by-alex-skovron-9781922186973","title":"The Man Who Took to His Bed","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA man wakes up one morning to find an unknown woman in bed beside him. A failed writer devises an ingenious method of plagiarising the work of others. Whole properties in a suburban neighbourhood begin vanishing overnight. An ancient grand piano is purchased by a mysterious young customer with an old secret. A spontaneous experiment in the paranormal produces an unexpected result...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis collection of 14 short stories is Alex Skovron's second book of fiction, after his novella \u003ci\u003eThe Poet\u003c\/i\u003e (2005). It introduces an eclectic range of protagonists, predicaments, voices, and narrative styles - playful, earnest, speculative, ironic, intimate, bittersweet, surreal. Between them, the characters' stories highlight the untoward in the everyday, the transformative in the mundane, the twists and turning-points that can challenge us - and the games we play with others, and with ourselves.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIntricate, dreamy, deeply literate stories that unsettle the senses and stir the intellect. - Helen Garner\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBy turns beautifully detailed, puzzling and always intriguing, the hauntingly solitary tone of these exquisitely observed stories induces a rare meditative attentiveness in the reader. It is a powerfully affecting collection that left me eager to explore more of Skovron's world. - Alex Miller\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46717613080812,"sku":"9781922186973","price":32.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/10280853482872.jpg?v=1754467337"},{"product_id":"letters-from-the-periphery-by-alex-skovron-9781925780833","title":"Letters from the Periphery","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe forty-eight poems that comprise \u003ci\u003eLetters from the Periphery\u003c\/i\u003e, Alex Skovron's seventh book-length collection, are populated by a variety of voices speaking across many settings. From 1960s Sydney to the cafes of today's Melbourne, from the Trojan War and Byzantine Aleppo to the dark forest of Dante's Inferno, from eighteenth-century Lisbon to Vienna at the turn of the twentieth, from the American Civil War to warfronts of our time, and of the future.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA richly diverse collection, this book also marks Skovron's return to the longer poem. Notably, the title-sequence features a mysterious stalker versed in philosophy; the suite \u003ci\u003eThe Light We Convert\u003c\/i\u003e is grounded in the world of nineteenth-century music; and the poet's translation of the opening Canto from \u003ci\u003eThe Divine Comedy\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47362769518828,"sku":"9781925780833","price":59.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/18133663482873.jpg?v=1772900514"},{"product_id":"towards-the-equator-by-alex-skovron-9781922186553","title":"Towards the Equator","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis \u003cem\u003eNew \u0026amp; Selected Poems\u003c\/em\u003e is a substantial and long-awaited compilation from one of Australia's most accomplished poets, a retrospective spanning more than thirty years. The New Poems section, \u003cem\u003eTowards the Equator\u003c\/em\u003e, represents Alex Skovron's sixth book-length collection and signals a return to the formal variety that has been a hallmark of his work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs always, a distinct Eurocentric sensibility sits alongside an engagement with Western art and culture. All six collections are characterized by close attention to craft, versatility of tone and technique, and a seriousness of intent seasoned at times with wry humour or playful wit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47433183854828,"sku":"9781922186553","price":84.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781922186553.jpg?v=1774765455"},{"product_id":"switchpoints-by-alex-skovron-9781923099722","title":"Switchpoints","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA philosopher sets about compiling an encyclopaedia of embraces; an artist accuses her mirror of a lifetime of dishonesty; a flâneur collects melodies from the faces of passing strangers; an author envisions the ultimate map charting every single move of his existence; a girl dreams of a magic box that would tell her everything...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSwitchpoints\u003c\/em\u003e, Alex Skovron's twelfth book, is a collection of 100 short narrative pieces, some in prose, others in verse. It is inhabited by a broad assortment of individuals of all ages, from children to the elderly, visited at particular and possibly significant moments in their daily life. These moments might be of doubt or discovery, inertia or inspiration, of personal reflection, reminiscence or philosophical musing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThere are skewed apprehensions and tender recognitions, lingering regrets and poignant realisations—'switchpoint' moments that trigger a jolt in thought or demeanour, or signal a shift in viewpoint or sense of self; or may not. The prod might be a line from a novel or poem, a painting or a piece of music, a landmark, a famous disaster, or perhaps no more than a sudden idea, a fading dream or an elusive recollection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eUnderpinning it all is a fascination with the workings of mind, the riddles of memory, the mystique of time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47773138518252,"sku":"9781923099722","price":34.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781923099722-switchpoints.jpg?v=1782183059"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/collections\/alex-skovron.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}