A Man's Got to Have a Hobby: Long Summers With My Dad

Description

William McInnes is a talented writer and a natural storyteller. A tail-end baby boomer, he recalls summer holidays that seemed to go on forever, when he and his mates would walk down to fish in the bay; a time when the Aussie battler stood as the local Labor candidate and looked out for his mates; and a time when the whole family would rush into the lounge room to watch a new commercial on TV. He writes about his father - a strong character who talks to the furniture, dances with William's mother in the kitchen, and spends his free time fixing up the house and doing the best for his family. In William's writing you can hear his father speaking and listen to his mother singing. This is a book about people who aren't famous but should be. It's about cane toads and families, love and hope and fear, laughter, death and life. Most of all, it is a realistic, down-to-earth book by a man who had a great time growing up. His warmth and humour come through on every page. This Australian memoir tells of a time that will be familiar to many readers and a delight for all.

William McInnes is one of Australia's most popular writers, delighting readers with his memoirs A MAN'S GOT TO HAVE A HOBBY and THAT'D BE RIGHT, his novels CRICKET KINGS, THE LAUGHING CLOWNS and THE BIRDWATCHER, and his insight into Australian life since the 1940s, written with Essential Media and Entertainment, THE MAKING OF MODERN AUSTRALIA. In 2011, with his wife Sarah Watt he co-wrote WORSE THINGS HAPPEN AT SEA, which was named the best non-fiction title in the ABIA and the Indie Awards in 2012. In 2014, he wrote HOLIDAYS, his unique perspective on the Australian obsession with taking a hard-earned break. Also an award-winning actor, William has won two Logies and an AFI Award for Best Actor for his role in the film UNFINISHED SKY. He received critical and public acclaim for his leading role in the film LOOK BOTH WAYS, written and directed by Sarah Watt, and recently starred in the ABC television series THE TIME OF OUR LIVES and HELLO BIRDIE. William McInnes grew up in Queensland and lives in Melbourne with his two children.

a perfect balance between humour, humility, seriousness and light, laughter and tears - Sunday Telegraph This will make you laugh till you cry - The Age McInnes applies a deft touch to a swag of recollections, shaping a yarn that should be listed with the national treasures' - The Courier-Mail