The short list for the 2010 Territory Read NT Book of the Year has just been announced. Territory Read celebrates the finest accomplishments in contemporary Northern Territory literature.

In this, the second year of the award, 17 entries of recently published books were submitted from across the NT. The entries reflects the diversity and calibre of writers in the Territory.

Cassie
Barry Jonsberg
(Allen & Unwin, 2008)
Holly Holley has an embarrassing name and terrible life. And, as if all that isn’t enough, now her household is being turned upside down by the arrival of her aunt and a cousin who has severe cerebral palsy, and is confined to a wheelchair. Cassie is a story about friendship, loyalty and self-image, and also explores issues including disability and honesty.

Every Secret Thing
Marie Munkara
(UQP, 2009)
In the clash of culture and faith, sometimes humour is the only refuge. When culture and faith collide . . . nothing is sacred. In the Aboriginal missions of far northern Australia, it was a battle between saving souls and saving traditional culture. Every Secret Thing is a rough, tough, hilarious portrayal of the Bush Mob and the Mission Mob, and the hapless clergy trying to convert them. In these tales, everyone is fair game. At once playful and sharp, Marie Munkara’s wonderfully original stories cast a taunting new light on the mission.

Listen deeply, let these stories in
Kathleen Kemarre Wallace / Judy Lovell
(IAD Press, 2009)
Renowned Eastern Arrernte painter, Kathleen Kemarre Wallace, tells stories of her elders and their way of life that she learnt as a child and young woman. Her storytelling illuminates the origins and beliefs of Eastern Arrernte people, and calls for respect for the ancient traditions of the altyerre spirits who brought her country into being. Kathleen’s knowledge of country, law and culture shine through in her words and mesmerising painting.

My Private Pectus
Shane Thamm
(Ford Street Publishing)
My Private Pectus is a serious yet comical portrayal of teenager Jack McDermott’s struggle to discover who is, what he’s meant to look like, and how much he should care about what other people think. Jack’s chest deformity, pectus excavatum, is symbolic of the body image issues teenage boys face in schools today.

The Devil You Know
Leonie Norrington
(Allen & Unwin, 2008)
Damien is horrified when his father, a violent man known to his motorcycling peers as 88, moves back to live with him and his mum. Memories of past violence are too strong. But there’s also glamour in having a father who rides a Harley Davidson. 
Set in a small-town community in northern Australia, The Devil You Know takes you inside the mind and under the skin of a troubled boy with a vivid imagination and one who must wrestle with his own violent impulses and minor betrayals.

The Red Highway
Nicolas Rothwell
(Black Inc. 2009)
This is the story of a quest – a journey down the red highway. After a spell reporting the Iraq War, Nicolas Rothwell returns to Australia, to explore the deserts and towns, sleepy coastline and hidden worlds of the north. As he travels, his journey gathers momentum and finds a shape. He has unforgettable, even mystical encounters: with a nun, an explorer, a collector and a hunter. It becomes a quest – for knowledge and a sense of home – that builds to a stunning culmination.