Creative Writing for Beginners (Colin Batrouney, Affirm Press)

Colin Batrouney explores the redemptive power of fiction in his second novel. Books have given Joel’s otherwise aimless life a direction of sorts, and while he is a keen reader, he also sees himself as a writer, so he enrols in a writing course: the Creative Writing for Beginners of the book’s title. His flatmate Nomee is an actor, and has been cast as Nina in an esteemed theatre company’s production of Chekhov’s The Seagull. Nomee is beset by self-doubt and insecurities that threaten to unravel her burgeoning career, while Joel develops an unexpected friendship with a classmate, which opens up complex and unresolved past issues and feelings. Both Joel and Nomee have a passivity that sometimes borders on irritating, but Batrouney is sensitive to his characters and their idiosyncrasies, ably drawing on his experiences as writer, actor and director to lend his tale authenticity. Batrouney explores his themes with a gentle hand, at times skimming the surface of an idea, but he writes with skill and a flair for nuance, and delivers the novel’s dramatic denouement with an understated touch. This will appeal to readers of contemporary Australian fiction or those harbouring acting or literary aspirations.

Deborah Crabtree is a Melbourne-based writer and bookseller

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Category: Reviews