The Strays by Emily Bitto

JUDGES' COMMENTS

Embarrassed by her own stolid parents, eight-year-old Lily is drawn to her classmate Eva’s bohemian, artistic household outside Melbourne in the 1930s. Told in Lily’s voice, reflecting her observant curiosity and her ignorance of adult life, The Strays is a sophisticated, suspenseful coming-of-age tale that shines light on a small community which has charismatic energy but no rules. Lily’s excitement at having access to this glamorous world eventually gives way to understanding of the damage done to its inhabitants.

Emily Bitto was inspired by the well-known artists’ colony at Heide but the characters, story and perspective are her own. The period feels authentic, though it is created through a sharp contemporary eye that can see how these unconventional misfits might presage a later time. Framed by the present, the picture is delicately tinged by Lily’s adult nostalgia and regret.