Tim Winton tackles a troubling new project, 40 years after its acclaimed debut
Plain text size Larger text size Text size is very large Tim Winton has been a part-time novelist for the past three years. Yes, he has a book on the go, but he has also written and narrated a documentary about Ningaloo Reef off the north-west coast of Australia. And for once, he wasn’t sure what he was writing: was it homage or elegy? Maybe even a speech; maybe all three. But the documentary turned out to be unsettling. As is often the case today. “Look what happened in England and Europe. We have reached the place they told us about but we never thought it would happen. I think anyone who is not afraid [about climate change] just don’t pay attention. If you live close to nature and you have little investment – whether you grow grapes or plants or you swim in the reef – it’s quite a challenge. A few years ago, Winton told me he was an optimist, so I had to ask: is he still? Winton in Denmark, Western Australia, in 2008. Credit: Erin Jonasson “I don’t see any alternative. I ha