A new work of fiction by the author of Remembering Babylon. It is 1827, and, in a remote hut high on the plains of New South Wales, two strangers spend the night in talk. One, an illiterate Irishman, and ex-convict and bushranger, is to be hanged at dawn. The other is the police officer who has been sent to supervise the hanging. As the night wears on, the two men share memories and uncover unlikely connections between their lives. 240 pp. Author tour. 20,000 print.David Maloufis the author of ten novels and six volumes of poetry. His novelThe Great Worldwas awarded both the prestigious Commonwealth Prize and the Prix Femina Estranger.Remembering Babylonwas short-listed for the Booker Prize. He lives in Sydney, Australia.US