Plum

The wildly impressive, raucously funny, and deeply moving second novel from award-winning writer, actor, and director for television, theater, and film Brendan Cowell, confirming the talent he showed in his best-selling debut novel from 2010, How It Feels.

Peter "The Plum" Lum is a 49-year-old ex-star NRL player, living with his son and girlfriend in Cronulla. He's living a pretty cruisey life until one day he suffers an epileptic fit and discovers that he has a brain disorder as a result of the thousand-odd head knocks he took on the footy field in his 20-year career. According to his neurologist, Plum has to make some changes - right now - or it's dementia, or even death.

Reluctantly, Plum embarks on a journey of self-care and self-discovery, which is not so easy when all you've ever known is to go full tilt at everything. On top of this, he's being haunted by dead poets, and, unable to stop crying, discovers he has a special gift for the spoken word. With spectral visits from Bukowski and Plath, the friendship of local misfits, and the prospect of new love, Plum might just save his own life.

From award-winning writer, director, and actor Brendan Cowell, Plum is a powerfully moving, authentic, big-hearted, angry, and joyous novel of men, their inarticulate pain, and what it takes for them to save themselves - from themselves. It's got a roaring energy, a raucous humor, a heart of gold, and a poetic soul.