Kings Cross: A Biography

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NewSouth Publishing, 2013 - Biography & Autobiography - 500 pages
Over time the cross has become a giant palimpsest for me. I Love the complexity of kings cross's human interactions and streetscapes, The stunning juxtapositions of beauty and ugliness, Its tolerance and its almost arrogant sense that it is markedly different from the reset of Australia. Celebrated playwright, author and screenwriter Louis Nowra is a long-time resident of Kings Cross, the most infamous and misunderstood place in Australia. In a wildly energetic book that walks the streets, sits in bars, clubs and apartments and mingles with the locals, Nowra traverses the history and the future of his beloved neighbourhood. He also tells the extraordinary story of a different Cross, one that for half a century was the vanguard of modern architecture, design, fashion, music, sexual diversity, women's freedom and a haven for refugees. He burrows beneath stories and a cast of characters û some household names, others little-known û that not even a writer could conjure up. Book jacket.

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About the author (2013)

Louis Nowra was born on December 12, 1950 in Melbourne. He is best known as one of Australia's leading playwrights. His works have been performed by all of Australia's major theatre companies. His most significant plays are Così, Radiance, Byzantine Flowers, Summer of the Aliens and The Golden Age. In 2006 he completed The Boyce Trilogy for Griffin Theatre Company, consisting of The Woman with Dog's Eyes, The Marvellous Boy and The Emperor of Sydney. His 2009 novel Ice was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award. His script for 1996 movie Cosi, which revolves around a group of mentally ill patients who put on a play, won the Australian Film Institute Award that year for Best Adapted Screenplay. Nowra's work as a scriptwriter also includes a credit on the comedy The Matchmaker and the Vincent Ward romance Map of the Human Heart, which was invited to the Cannes Film Festival. His title, Prince of Afghanistan, made the Indie Awards 2016 shortlist in the Young Adult category.

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