The Lucky Galah

2020 Longlist

It’s 1969, and a remote coastal town in Western Australia is poised to play a pivotal part in the moon landing. Radar technician Evan Johnson and his colleagues stare at a grainy screen, transfixed, as Armstrong takes that first small step.

I was in my cage, of course, unheard, underestimated, biscuit crumbs on my beak. But fate is a curious thing. For just as Evan’s story is about to end, my story prepares to take flight.

About the Author

Tracy Sorensen is a novelist, journalist, and video maker based in Australia. Her novel, The Lucky Galah, has been longlisted for the 2019 Miles Franklin and the Indie Booksellers awards. It was shortlisted for three awards including the Readings Prize for new Australian fiction. Tracy is working on a PhD in craft & climate change communication.

Librarian’s Comments

Lucky is a pet Galah who has secret conversations with a satellite dish. The year is 1969 and the small western Australian town he calls home is gearing up to help with the relay of messages between Apollo 11 and Houston Texas. In the background a very suburban life is playing out. The modern world is looking in on small town Australia and social hierarchies are navigated through gossip, dinner parties and dressmaking while visits from international scientists cause a stir. Lucky the Galah watches the community struggle without judgment. He drinks tea and hopes for an occasional biscuit, or a really good novel to literally ‘rip’ into. National Library of Australia, Australia