North from Thursday

North from Thursday

First edition
Author	Jon Cleary
Language	English
Publisher	Collins
Publication date	1960
Publication place	Australia
Pages	384pp
Preceded by	Strike Me Lucky
Followed by	The Country of Marriage

North from Thursday is a 1960 novel from Australian author Jon Cleary.[1] It is set in New Guinea and concerns the eruption of a volcano, forcing a group of survivors to flee across the country. The story is based on the 1951 eruption of Mount Lamington.

Cleary was motivated to write the novel because he was interested in exploring the concept of Australia as a colonial power and researched the book by visiting New Guinea with his wife. He went on a patrol in the Highlands.[2]

Reception

The novel was not a big seller in Australia but did well in other countries. It was optioned for the movies but a film version proved too expensive to raise finance.[3]

Adaptation

The novel was serialised in the Sydney Morning Herald and was adapted for radio in 1963.[4]

References

1. "North from Thursday (William Collins)". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
2. "New Guinea Fiction". Sydney Morning Herald. 15 September 1966. p. 6.
3. Jon Cleary Interviewed by Stephen Vagg: Oral History Archived 2012-11-30 at archive.today at National Film and Sound Archive
4. "2CA On The Air! 2CA". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 25 December 1963. p. 19. Retrieved 18 April 2020 – via Trove.

External links

• North from Thursday at AustLit (subscription required)