Christos Tsiolkas Books In Order

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Christos Tsiolkas is a literature and fiction author from Melbourne that is best known for his novel “The Slap.” He likes to style himself a film critic, essayist, playwright and award winning author of several short story collections and more than half a dozen novels.

Tsiolkas was born to Greek parents but was born and spent much of his life in Australia. He had some discouragement from very early on as The first time he told his mother that he intended to pursue a career as an author, she told him that he was never going to make it as he would die on the streets, poor and alone.

But he proved her wrong when He made his debut novel “Loaded” in 1995 and has never looked back since. He has managed to do very well for himself. He has written more than a dozen novels and short story collections and also some works for the screen and the stage.

“The Slap,” which is one of his most successful novels he wrote, was made into a successful television series. Tsiolkas loves to acknowledge his Greek roots even though he sees fiction as the best way of getting away from it.

Tsiolkas’ novels have been adapted for both the small screen and big screen. “Loaded,” his debut novel, was made into a feature film that starred Alex Dimitriades and was directed by Ana Kikkinos.

“Dead Europe” his third novel was the winner of the fiction award by The Age Book of the Year fiction award. Tony Krawitz the award winning director adapted the work for cinema.

“Slap,” which is perhaps his best known work, was the winner of the Commonwealth Writers Prize. The novel was also adapted into a mini series by ABC that would be adapted for American audiences starring Thandie Newton, Uma Thurman and Peter Sarsgaard.

“Barracuda,” his 2013 published novel, was made into a mini series by award winning director Robert Connelly. Among his other awards include the Miles Franklin Literary Award, the Victorian Premier’s Prize for Fiction, the Australian Literary Society Gold Medal and the Man Booker Prize.

Over the years, Christos has licensed his works to publishers from across the globe. Starting in Australia, his novels and short story collections have been published in nearly two dozen languages across the globe.

Apart from his writings, Christos Tsiolkas has made a name for himself as an advocate on a variety of societal issues. He is best known for advocating for the refugee and migrant communities and has also been actively advocating for queer issues. He usually does this through his work as a journalist.
Since 2013, Tsiolkas has been working at the Asylum Seeker Resource Center where he was Cultural Ambassador.

The screenwriter, essayist and playwright currently makes his home in Melbourne, where he is also a patron of writers’ organization “Writers Victoria.”

Christos Tsiolkas’ novel “The Slap” is set at a suburban barbecue that has turned charged following one man slapping a child who is not his. The incident and the after effects ricochet off a group of people, most of whom are friends that have been indirectly or directly impacted by the Slap.
In the work, Christos Tsiolkas makes use of his all seeing and unflinching eye to survey the things that connect modern people to each other. He asserts that domestic life and modern family are the two most important.

The author tells his story from the perspectives of eight people that were at the barbeque. The circumstances of the slap force everyone there to question their own family including the desires and beliefs, their expectations and the way they live.

What follows is the unfolding of a haunting and powerful story of parenting and children, marriage and sex and love. It also explores the conflicting beliefs and passions, the intensity and fury that can arouse in any family with disparate attitudes and characters.

It is the forensic examination of the fears and aspirations of the ever expanding middle class people of the modern era. It is also a provocative and poignant novel about the nature of truth, compromise, happiness and commitment.

“Barracuda” by Christos Tsiolkas is a thrilling story about champion swimmer Danny Kelly. He has always been obsessed with winning and finally managed to get a scholarship. At his new school, he receives grudging admiration but given his Greek heritage he often finds himself desolate and isolated.

He usually draws on the violence, bullying and hatred of the other boys to drive himself to win. What is even better is that he beats everyone including those who hate his guts. The complex mixture of self loathing and bravado is fed by struggles withsexual and racial identity that makes for some disturbing reading.
Still, the Melbourne setting offers some sense of familiarity and comfort. Tsiolkas writes some unexpectedly moving reflections on the nature of belonging and home and conversely on themes of isolation and homesickness.

However, the most poignant and pervasive theme of the novel is the insightful portrayal of the destructive power of shame.

Christos Tsiolkas’ novel “Loaded” is a compelling narrative that tells the story of how families could be destroyed by simple acts or even one minor mistake. In Ari’s family, it was precipitated by a series of consistent, pathetic and passionate explosions.

There were all manner of crude threats, cruel words that spurred the family members who ultimately reached a height of pain before they retired home in a fury or in tears.

The lead is an unemployed 19 year old poofter named Ari. He is on the lookout for anything that would give him purpose or remove him from a boring existence in the suburbs of the city. He is not a believer in anything or anyone but instead loves his music.

All he ever wants to do is have sex, take drugs, dance and change the world. For Ari, the conventional ways of work, family, politics and sex no longer hold. Ari is now caught between the the alluring destructive world of anonymous sex, chemicals and clubs and the traditional one of his Greek parents and friends.
He believes the former is the only way he can salve his wounds.

The novel is written in an uncompromising and stark tone that makes for some great reading.