vogel shortlisted novel out now
In the cracked light of Sydney’s Inner West, The Bike traces three relentless days in the life of Steve, a speed addict and small-time dealer fighting to stay high, stay alive and stay free. His bike is his only freedom in a world ruled by cops, junkies, and the endless cycle of addiction. Each hour drags him closer to pension day, the next score, the next sleep, the next fragile reprieve. It’s the only thing he can control in a world driven by speed, desperation, and the fading hope of escape.
Inspired by the Italian New Wave cinema of the 1950s, particularly Vittorio De Sica’s The Bicycle Thief, The Bike is drawn from the shadows of addiction and the fragile beauty of endurance; a raw, unflinching portrayal of the stark poetry of survival, the human struggle for freedom, dignity, and the survival amid urban decay. A Vogel Literary Award contender and runner-up (Highly Commended).
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“Depressing but totally convincing… black humor… this is really good and captures a sub-group rarely portrayed in australian fiction”
John Dale, Best-selling author of Huckstepp and Dark Angel
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"...perversely mesmerizing... utterly convincing articulation of the poverty-line lifestyle."
Marele Day, Best-selling author of the Claudia Valentine Series and Lambs of God
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Blue Mariposa Press positions itself as a local, writer-led community platform and independent publisher, complementary to educational and institutional initiatives but grounded in lived practice. Our aim is to support writers where they are — through visibility, connection and the steady building of a regional literary archive.
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