{"product_id":"once-we-were-wildlife-stories-9780733651014","title":"Once We Were Wildlife: Stories","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA tender, luminous collection of interconnected tales that explore love, longing and the wilderness - both within and around us.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eA tender, luminous collection of interconnected tales that explore love, longing and the wilderness - both within and around us.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn this compulsive compilation of eleven stories and one poem - set against scorched landscapes, wild oceans, and rocky terrain - Simpson follows people on the edge of desire, heartbreak and change. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn 'Poached', an ex-soldier finds himself between a poacher and a Bengal tiger. In 'The Wash', a woman's reckless ocean swim reveals the instinct to survive and the end of a passionate love. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFrom the aching intensity of romantic love to the quiet devastations of motherhood and ageing, Simpson's literary prowess keeps us riveted by the power of nature to shape human relationships and worlds. Melancholic and joyful, masterful and inspiring, this is contemporary fiction at its finest by Australia's foremost writer of the natural world, Inga Simpson.\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003ePraise for Simpson's award-nominated novels:\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Beguiling and entertaining'\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ci\u003eWeekend Australian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Storytelling at its best. I was enthralled'\u003c\/b\u003e SARAH WINMAN, author of \u003ci\u003eStill Life\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e'I loved this - gorgeous, heartbreaking . . .'\u003c\/b\u003e ROBBIE ARNOTT, author of \u003ci\u003eDusk\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ch4\u003eDetails\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003cp\u003eISBN13: 9780733651014\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFormat: Paperback \/ softback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNumber of Pages: 208\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEdition: \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication Date: 31 Mar 2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublisher: Hachette Australia\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication City, Country: Sydney, Australia\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDimensions (cm): 21(H)x13.5(L)300\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWeight (gm): 300\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch4\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h4\u003eInga Simpson began her career as a professional writer for government before gaining a PhD in creative writing. In 2011, she took part in the Queensland Writers Centre Manuscript Development Program and, as a result, Hachette Australia published her first novel, \u003ci\u003eMr Wigg\u003c\/i\u003e, in 2013. \u003ci\u003eNest\u003c\/i\u003e, Inga's second novel, was published in 2014 and was longlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award and the Stella Prize and shortlisted for the ALS Gold Medal. Inga's third novel, the acclaimed \u003ci\u003eWhere the Trees Were\u003c\/i\u003e, was published in 2016.\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eInga was awarded the final Eric Rolls Prize for her nature writing and has obtained a second PhD, exploring the history of Australian nature writers. Inga's account of her love of Australian nature and life with trees, \u003ci\u003eUnderstory\u003c\/i\u003e, was published in 2017. Her first book for children, \u003ci\u003eThe Book of Australian Trees\u003c\/i\u003e, illustrated by Alicia Rogerson, was published in 2021. \u003ci\u003eThe Last Woman in the World\u003c\/i\u003e, her critically acclaimed environmental thriller, was published in 2021 and shortlisted for the 2022 Fiction Indie Book Award. Her bestselling and critically acclaimed 2022 novel \u003ci\u003eWillowman\u003c\/i\u003e was shortlisted for the BookPeople Adult Fiction Book of the Year 2023 and in 2024 was selected by Australia's leading booksellers in BookPeople's 100 Must-Read Australian Novels. Her 2024 literary thriller \u003ci\u003eThe Thinning \u003c\/i\u003ehas been shortlisted for the 2025 ACT Literary Award for Fiction and was longlisted for the 2025 Stella Prize and the 2025 Fiction Indie Book Award. \u003ci\u003eThe Peach King\u003c\/i\u003e, illustrated by Tannya Harricks, is her second book for children, and published in 2025.\u003ci\u003e Once We Were Wildlife\u003c\/i\u003e is her eighth novel.\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eInga lives on the New South Wales south coast among trees.\u003ch4\u003eReviews\u003c\/h4\u003e","brand":"Inga Simpson","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48544255443161,"sku":"9780733651014","price":29.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0502\/9530\/8441\/files\/9780733651014.jpg?v=1776452072","url":"https:\/\/www.arielbooks.com.au\/products\/once-we-were-wildlife-stories-9780733651014","provider":"Ariel","version":"1.0","type":"link"}