Scission and Other Stories


Scission and Other Stories, sometimes simply Scission, is a 1985 collection of short stories by Australian author Tim Winton.
It won the 1985 Western Australian Council Literary Award and was 1985 Joint Winner Western Australian Premier's Book Award - Fiction.

Contents

This was Winton's first collection of stories. There are 13 short stories:
Secrets
A blow, a kiss
Getting ahead
My father's axe
Wake
Lantern stalk
Thomas Awkner floats
Wilderness
Neighbours
A measure of eloquence
The oppressed
The woman at the well
Scission.
The stories are described as, "... spare, jagged stories in which people struggle with change and disintegration... These startling stories deal with men, women and children whose lives are coming apart and whose hearts are breaking. Honest, beautiful, shattering tales - vintage Winton."

Themes

The title Scission describes the action or state of cutting or being cut and each of the stories has this theme of tearing apart involving family, neighbours and strangers.

Awards

1985 Western Australian Council Literary Award
1985 Joint Winner Western Australian Premier's Book Award - Fiction