Join the 2021 Penguin Literary Prize winner, James McKenzie Watson as he discusses his award-winning gothic thriller Denizen, a celebration of harsh country and stoic people. Influenced by James’ own upbringing in regional NSW and his work as a nurse, Denizen traverses the Australian outback as readily as it does the fraught reality of mental health struggles in rural communities. Like Denizen, James’ other works focus on health and rural Australia. James also co-hosts the health and writing podcast James and Ashley Stay at Home.
James McKenzie Watson (Australian)
James McKenzie Watson writes fiction with a focus on health and rural Australia. His novel Denizen won the 2021 Penguin Literary Prize and was published by Penguin Random House in 2022. His writing has appeared in The Guardian, Meanjin, and the Newtown Review of Books. He co-hosts the writing and health podcast James and Ashley Stay at Home and works as a nurse.
