Stories
and essays by ten talented Australian writers, including Maria Takolander, Tony Birch, Marion
Halligan, Ryan O'Neill and Jennifer Mills. Introduction by Amanda Lohrey.



'Only
rarely does a critic come across a perfect collection.' - Helen Elliot, The Australian


'Filled
with cutting-edge, innovative writers and armed with an expansive definition of
what it is to be an Australian, Cracking
the Spine will be at once accessible to undergraduate students and
informative and challenging for their teachers. What a thrill to see a work
like this come about!' - Nicholas Birns, Antipodes


'Literature,
life, landscape, history: the whole gamut of Antipodean experience may be
gleaned from its pages. An ideal resource for those interested in Ozlit, Cracking
the Spine is also a pure pleasure to read.' - Geordie Williamson