Tim Winton on staying alive, in extremis

Australian writer Tim Winton on the stories which inspired his latest novel, 'Juice', a story of determination, survival, and the limits of the human spirit.

'Juice' is an astonishing feat of imagination.

It takes us to a far-off future on a superheated planet, where people must live like desert frogs in Northwest Australia. 

They go underground for the murderously hot summer months, before emerging in winter to grow and make what they can.

The nameless narrator of the book is travelling with a child under his protection. They are taken hostage by a man with a crossbow, who takes them to the bottom of a mine shaft.

There, the narrator has to tell his story to the bowman in the hope that he won't kill them.

This episode of Conversations explores climate change, science, climate justice, storytelling, writing, books, narrative, fiction, Australian writers, Cloudstreet, Western Australia, coral bleaching, Pilbara, Ningaloo Reef, Putin, Trump, American politics, global politics, Russia, oligarchs, tariffs, trade wars, artists protesting, romantasy, climate change refugees.

Juice is published by Penguin.

This conversation was recorded in front of a live audience at Adelaide Writers' Week.