The Quality of Sprawl

by Les Murray

ISBN 1 875989 56 0

$19.50

Published Sept 1999

What does it mean to be Australian?

At times, over the years, Les Murray has taken a break from poetry to write in prose. The results are wise, funny, sometimes provocative and moving. This is a collection of some of his thoughts about our history and attitudes to clothes and religion, the republic, the bush and our customs.

The book also contains two of Murray's best poems on what it means to be Australian, and an essay about the writing of the Preamble which was rewritten by the prime minister and voted on in the November 1999 referendum.