OOTA is delighted to announce the launch of Helen Hagemann’s debut novel.
Many OOTA members and friends joined Helen on Saturday afternoon, 3 October 2020, at the Fremantle Arts Centre to formally launch the publication of her debut novel, The Last Asbestos Town.
Speaking on behalf of OOTA, Hon. Treasurer Leanne Searle described Helen’s long-term association with OOTA, both as a Committee Member and as a teacher of prose and poetry writing. Helen has also been an outstanding member of the Perth writing community for many years. She has published two collections of poetry; her poems have won a number of awards and have appeared in numerous Australian and international publications.
Speaking of the novel, Richard Regan, OOTA Vice-President, said that: ‘In common with all the best fiction, it grabs the reader’s interest from the very first sentence and holds it until the final page.’
‘At the heart of the book is the evolving relationship between the newly married lovers, May and Isaac, as they struggle to save their country town home from demolition. The compelling narrative that Helen weaves is part love story, part mystery and part thriller, all written in language that is crackling, fresh and poetic.’
Not satisfied with the publication of one novel, Helen has been hard at work on a second, The Ozone Café. Her publishers, Adelaide Press of New York, have already scheduled it for publication next year.
OOTA wishes Helen every success with The Last Asbestos Town, and we look forward to the launch of The Ozone Café.
