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Cairo by Chris Womersley Q&A: 23 March, 2017

"The warmth of Womersley’s writing allows for such interplay between fiction and reality: real-world references do not feel contrived; rather, they’re satisfying and authentic, bringing the reader in closer to Tom’s close-knit cohort. Cairo is smart, thrilling and extremely well written – a fantastic read." – Alan Vaarwerk

Chris Womersley is the author of the novels Cairo, Bereft and The low road, as well as numerous short stories and occasional reviews and essays. Cairo was long-listed for the Dublin/IMPAC Award. Bereft won the Indie Award for Best Fiction, the ABIA Award for Fiction and was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award and The Gold Dagger Award for International Crime Fiction. The low road won the Ned Kelly Award. His fourth novel, City of crows, will be published in September 2017. Chris lives in Melbourne.

Chris will join us for a Q&A on Thursday, 23 March between 8 and 9pm. Please leave any questions you have below. (And discuss his writing at your leisure!)

Want to buy Cairo? Receive 10% off when purchasing it from Readings at State Library Victoria. To receive the discount online, enter the promo code BOOKCLUB in the promo code box during online checkout. To receive the discount at our State Library bookshop, simply mention the Thursday night book club at the counter.

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The big question Chris... the Weeping Woman, fake or fortune???

Also, any tips on writing crime fiction?

Loved Cairo 👏🏼

Hi Eoin. So pleased you enjoyed Cairo. Thanks so much. I think the Weeping Woman at NGV is probably the legit version, but you never know....
As for writing crime fiction. Hmm. My work always starts with characters and wondering what would put them under the greatest stress. The stakes need to be high. You don't have to start at the beginning - rather, write the scene that is probably lurking in your head somewhere and work out from there. That way you can try capture the voice of the work. Good luck!

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