‘But I couldn’t go home just yet. I would not be a man in anyone’s eyes. That’s how I wound up working for Anton, servicing the coal ships stranded off the coast.’ —from ‘Offshore Service’
In Offshore Service and Other Stories, award-winning author Craig Cliff explores the emotional, economic, cultural and climatic forces that drive our decisions.
Farmers search for purpose on holiday in Fiji. A well-heeled Dunedin suburb receives an influx of refugees. Tensions flare at an Anzac Day barbecue in Perth. Playing out in recognisable settings these stories follow characters who find themselves beyond familiar shores, struggling to reconcile the passage of time, thwarted aspirations and unexpected responsibilities. What unfolds is explored with humour, heart and hopefulness through a mix of classic storytelling and innovative forms.
Offshore Service is a beautifully written and thoroughly readable collection about life here and now.