Once We Were Wildlife

Once We Were Wildlife by Inga Simpson is a luminous work of contemporary Australian fiction, bringing together eleven interconnected stories and a poem shaped by wild places and unsettled hearts. Set among scorched inland country, restless oceans and rugged terrain, these tales follow people caught on the edge of desire, grief and change, where the natural world presses close and nothing stays neatly contained.

In ‘Poached’, an ex-soldier is stranded in a tense encounter between a poacher and a Bengal tiger; in ‘The Wash’, a reckless swim becomes a turning point in survival and love. Across the collection, Simpson writes with quiet precision about longing, motherhood, ageing and the ways landscape can both shelter and expose us.

Perfect for readers who love literary short stories, nature writing, and emotionally astute, character-driven storytelling.

Add it to your shelf and let these fierce, tender pieces draw you in.