Sunshine Coast writer Greg Bourke has made an explosive entry into Australia’s literary scene. His debut psychological thriller sold out its first three print runs within weeks and has secured national distribution.
Set in the steamy, unpredictable world of Far North Queensland’s cane fields in the 1980s, Under Silkwood has captured the imagination of readers across Australia and abroad, with demand now outpacing supply.
Bourke’s journey into fiction writing marks a late-career pivot that reflects a growing national trend of Australians pursuing creative choices later in life.
Yet, commercial success at this level remains exceedingly rare for debut writers. Industry estimates suggest that fewer than 1 to 3 per cent of unsolicited manuscripts secure a deal with Australian publishers.
“The Australian literary landscape is dominated by some long-time heavy weights and with only a minority of new writers securing trade publishing or distribution deals, I am thrilled that Under Silkwood has struck a chord with readers,” Bourke says.
This story has deep personal roots for Bourke, who grew up around Sunshine Coast cane farms and later worked as a graduate high school teacher in Queensland’s northern frontier.
“The brooding environment, the isolation, the tight-knit communities – they are the perfect ingredients for a thriller,” he says.
The book follows a young teacher seeking purpose in Far North Queensland, only to be pulled into a dangerous world of attraction, family loyalties and generational vendettas.
“When I nervously handed in my English essays at St John’s College, Nambour, I never imagined landing a contract with a trade publisher,” Bourke says.
The novel is available in print and e-book formats.
Copies can be ordered through any bookstore and are stocked at Rosetta Books, Maleny, and Annie’s Books, Peregian Beach.
