Ben Winch
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Roy Winch is an Australian writer and musician.
Brought up in the Adelaide Hills
of South Australia
, Winch performed in the alternative rock
band Movement from 1990-92 before starting to write fiction.
His first novel Liadhen was shortlisted in the 1994 Angus and Robertson Bookworld First Novel Award, and published by Wakefield Press
in 1995. Although heralded as part of the first wave of the Australian Grunge Lit
movement, Liadhen is in fact a dreamlike and non-realistic story set in a fictional town in the Australian Alps
, and incorporating few of the traits of urban-based dirty realism
that characterised that movement.
Winch's next novel, My Boyfriend's Father (Wakefield Press, 1996), was closer to the grunge mould. A first-person narrative told by a young female, My Boyfriend's Father documents the break-up of a family owing to drug and alcohol abuse and was shortlisted in both the 1996 New South Wales Premier's Christina Stead Award for Fiction
and the inaugural Kathleen Mitchell Award
. In 1996 Winch also appeared at Adelaide Writers' Week
and became the youngest ever recipient of a Fellowship for Literature from the Australia Council for the Arts.
In the winter of 1997 Winch moved to Tasmania
to work on his third novel, Vanishing Points, which remains unfinished.
In 2004 he returned to the Australian literary scene briefly via a spoken word
/music collaboration with Adelaide poet Tim Sinclair
entitled Brothers of the Head, a concept album
about an unborn foetus trapped in his brother's skull.
In 2009 he moved to Manchester
, England
, where he formed the "classic indie" band Shadow History with ex-Icicle Works
bassist Chris Layhe
.
Brought up in the Adelaide Hills
Adelaide Hills
The Adelaide Hills are part of the Mount Lofty Ranges, east of the city of Adelaide in the state of South Australia. It is unofficially centred on the largest town in the area, Mount Barker, which has a population of around 29,000 and is also one of Australia's fastest growing towns.- History :The...
of South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, Winch performed in the alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Movement from 1990-92 before starting to write fiction.
His first novel Liadhen was shortlisted in the 1994 Angus and Robertson Bookworld First Novel Award, and published by Wakefield Press
Wakefield Press
Wakefield Press is an independent book publishing company in Australia, based in the Adelaide suburb of Kent Town, South Australia. They publish an eclectic list diverse in subject, tone and point, with strong suits in true stories, gastronomy, history, literature and gift books.-History:Wakefield...
in 1995. Although heralded as part of the first wave of the Australian Grunge Lit
Grunge Lit
Grunge Lit is an Australian literary genre usually applied to fictional or semi-autobiographical writing concerned with young people living in suburban or inner-city surroundings. The genre characterises itself by examining "gritty, dirty, real existences", where life revolves around a nihilistic...
movement, Liadhen is in fact a dreamlike and non-realistic story set in a fictional town in the Australian Alps
Australian Alps
The Australian Alps are the highest mountain ranges of mainland Australia. They are located in southeastern Australia and straddle the Australian Capital Territory, south-eastern New South Wales and eastern Victoria...
, and incorporating few of the traits of urban-based dirty realism
Dirty realism
Dirty Realism is a North American literary movement born in the 1970s-80s in which the narrative is stripped down to its fundamental features.This movement is a derivative of minimalism. As minimalism, dirty realism is characterized by an economy with words and a focus on surface description...
that characterised that movement.
Winch's next novel, My Boyfriend's Father (Wakefield Press, 1996), was closer to the grunge mould. A first-person narrative told by a young female, My Boyfriend's Father documents the break-up of a family owing to drug and alcohol abuse and was shortlisted in both the 1996 New South Wales Premier's Christina Stead Award for Fiction
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards
The New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards were established in 1979 by the New South Wales Premier Neville Wran. Commenting on its purpose, Wran said: "We want the arts to take, and be seen to take, their proper place in our social priorities...
and the inaugural Kathleen Mitchell Award
Kathleen Mitchell Award
The Kathleen Mitchell Award is an Australian literature prize for young authors. It was established in 1996 and is awarded every second year with a sum of A$7,500 ....
. In 1996 Winch also appeared at Adelaide Writers' Week
Adelaide Writers' Week
Adelaide Writers' Week, held in the capital of South Australia and considered one of the world's pre-eminent literary events, is a traditional part of the Adelaide Festival of Arts fortnight where attendees meet and discuss literature with Australian and international writers in "Meet the Author"...
and became the youngest ever recipient of a Fellowship for Literature from the Australia Council for the Arts.
In the winter of 1997 Winch moved to Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
to work on his third novel, Vanishing Points, which remains unfinished.
In 2004 he returned to the Australian literary scene briefly via a spoken word
Spoken word
Spoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events....
/music collaboration with Adelaide poet Tim Sinclair
Tim Sinclair
Tim Sinclair is an Australian poet and novelist resident in Sydney.Best known for the verse novel Nine Hours North , he is also the author of the poetry collections Re:reading the dictionary and Vapour Trails, and a collaborator on the spoken word concept...
entitled Brothers of the Head, a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
about an unborn foetus trapped in his brother's skull.
In 2009 he moved to Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where he formed the "classic indie" band Shadow History with ex-Icicle Works
Icicle Works
The Icicle Works were an English alternative rock band of the 1980s. Named after the 1960 short story "The Day the Icicle Works Closed" by science fiction author Frederik Pohl, The Icicle Works joined Liverpool's early 1980s 'neo-psychedelia' wave, which also propelled Echo & the Bunnymen and The...
bassist Chris Layhe
Chris Layhe
Chris Layhe is an English musician, and founding member of Liverpool alternative rock band, The Icicle Works.Signed to Beggar's Banquet, The Icicle Works had a handful of chart hits and toured the US and mainland Europe before the departure of original members Layhe and drummer Chris Sharrock in...
.