The Bush by Don Watson review – driven by the burning truth

Watson’s supremely elegant prose offers a challenge to Australians who’ve long favoured city life on the coastal plains over life in the towns and emptiness beyond

Don Watson reads an exclusive extract from The Bush

Two decades ago, I found myself sitting with Don Watson somewhere in the labyrinthine offices of the prime minister of Australia, a position then held tightly by Paul Keating.

Watson – historian, writer, polymath – was engaged as a speechwriter for Keating, although he was much more besides, including confidant, soulmate and adviser on many matters of state. I was a green newspaper political writer and, like everyone in the press gallery, I wanted to speak to the enigmatic, elusive Keating, who had long since given up on the gallery because he’d decided it was against him. By that stage, he was probably right.

Continue reading...