Dusk
Published on 11. June 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
272 pages
978-1-5299-4957-5 (ISBN)
Description
Shortlisted for the Climate Fiction Prize
The story of outcast twins Iris and Floyd who join a hunt through the Tasmanian wilderness for a man-killing puma. But there is a threat closer to home . . .
'A sublime novel of loss and redemption' Hannah Kent
'A propulsive novel of survival and betrayal' The Economist
In the Tasmanian highlands, a wild puma is on the loose. Dusk has escaped her captors and reports of killing sprees soon follow.
Twins Iris and Floyd are out of work, money and friends. When they hear that a bounty has been placed on Dusk, they reluctantly decide to join the hunt. As they journey up into this wild, haunted country, they discover there's far more to the land and people of the highlands than they imagined.
And as they close in on their prey, they're forced to reckon with conflicts both ancient and deeply personal.
'Starkly beautiful and deeply felt ... the pared-back textures of Dusk's prose occasionally recall those of Cormac McCarthy' Guardian
'An expertly paced quest narrative doubling as the tale of a community riven by suspicion' Mail on Sunday
The story of outcast twins Iris and Floyd who join a hunt through the Tasmanian wilderness for a man-killing puma. But there is a threat closer to home . . .
'A sublime novel of loss and redemption' Hannah Kent
'A propulsive novel of survival and betrayal' The Economist
In the Tasmanian highlands, a wild puma is on the loose. Dusk has escaped her captors and reports of killing sprees soon follow.
Twins Iris and Floyd are out of work, money and friends. When they hear that a bounty has been placed on Dusk, they reluctantly decide to join the hunt. As they journey up into this wild, haunted country, they discover there's far more to the land and people of the highlands than they imagined.
And as they close in on their prey, they're forced to reckon with conflicts both ancient and deeply personal.
'Starkly beautiful and deeply felt ... the pared-back textures of Dusk's prose occasionally recall those of Cormac McCarthy' Guardian
'An expertly paced quest narrative doubling as the tale of a community riven by suspicion' Mail on Sunday
Reviews / Votes
'Magnificent' * Tim Winton, author of Juice * 'Dusk is a sublime novel of loss and redemption, fight and surrender, that left me in absolute awe. Robbie Arnott's prose is incandescent, his storytelling mythic and filled with a wisdom that extends beyond the page. With Dusk, he asserts himself as one of Australia's finest literary writers' * Hannah Kent, author of BURIAL RITES * 'Starkly beautiful and deeply felt... Dusk is a book about love: not just the love between the twins but the love they feel for the landscape... the pared-back textures of Dusk's prose... recall those of Cormac McCarthy' * Guardian (Australia) * 'A Conrad-like storyteller whose tales always tremble on the edge of the mythic and legendary' * Thomas Keneally, author of Schindler's Ark * 'One of Australia's finest writers' * Sisonke Msimang, author of The Resurrection of Winnie Mandela * 'Arnott has an eye and an ear for description that can elevate otherwise quiet moments to something genuinely transcendent' * Melissa Harrison, author of All Among the Barley * 'Everything [in Dusk]...is drawn vividly, not least the stunning, monumental landscape: a character in itself, it seems to nod to past crimes and extinctions... an absorbing adventure' * Daily Mail * 'Arnott... writes with tenderness about characters and passion about the lands through they move. A stunner' * The Times * Dusk is my book of the year so far - a story of loyalty, betrayal, desperation and the ties that bind, which culminates in one of the finest closing scenes I've ever read * Bath Life * An expertly paced quest narrative doubling as the tale of a community riven by suspicion * Mail on Sunday * This is a propulsive novel of survival and betrayal, enriched by arresting depictions of nature * Economist, *Autumn Picks of 2025* *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Vintage Publishing
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 199 mm
Width: 131 mm
Thickness: 22 mm
Weight
193 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5299-4957-5 (9781529949575)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Persons
Robbie Arnott is the author of Limberlost, The Rain Heron and Flames. He has been named a Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Novelist, shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize, and shortlisted twice for the Miles Franklin Literary Award. Dusk is his fourth novel. He lives with his family in Hobart, Tasmania.