Winner of the 2014 Viva La Novella Prize

With the death of her mother, eleven-year-old Abigail must learn to fend for herself against the cruel stewardship of her father. At war with the local
Aboriginals and intent on staking his claim on the land at any cost, what occurs between the two is a stunning powerplay that exposes the limits of the human imagination.

Inhabiting the speculative peripheries of the historical record, Blood and Bone is an uncompromising exploration of Australia’s dark history and its legacy.

Following on from 2013’s successful winner, Midnight Blue and Endlessly Tall by Jane Jervis-Read, Seizure’s Viva La Novella competition is back! This initiative is unique in its support of writers and editors alike. Four talented editors each selected a manuscript to work on from a pool of over 150 entries. The winning authors were announced at the Emerging Writer’s Festival in Melbourne in June 2014.

Daniel Davis Wood teaches literature and history at the Ecole d'Humanité, Switzerland, where he lives with his wife and daughter. He was born in Sydney and studied in Boston and Edinburgh before completing a PhD. in Literary Studies at the University of Melbourne. His literary criticism appears regularly in various journals and online at danieldaviswood.com.