An utterly wonderful novel of love, crime, magic, fate and coming of age from one of Australia’s most exciting new writers.

Longlisted for the 2019 Miles Franklin Literary Award Winner of the Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year, Literary Fiction Book of the Year and Overall Book of the Year at the 2019 ABIA Awards Winner of the 2019 ABA Booksellers Choice Award Winner of the UTS Glenda Adams Prize for New Writing and the People’s Choice Award at the 2019 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards Brisbane, 1983: A lost father, a mute brother, a mum in jail, a heroin dealer for a stepfather and a notorious crim for a babysitter. It’s not as if Eli’s life isn’t complicated enough already. He’s just trying to follow his heart, learning what it takes to be a good man, but life just keeps throwing obstacles in the way - not least of which is Tytus Broz, legendary Brisbane drug dealer. But Eli’s life is about to get a whole lot more serious. He’s about to fall in love. And, oh yeah, he has to break into Boggo Road Gaol on Christmas Day, to save his mum. A story of brotherhood, true love and the most unlikely of friendships, Boy Swallows Universe will be the most heartbreaking, joyous and exhilarating novel you will read all year - an instant Australian classic.