The Axeman’s Carnival

WINNER OF THE JANN MEDLICOTT ACORN PRIZE FOR FICTION AT THE 2023 OCKHAM NEW ZEALAND BOOK AWARDS

A brilliant tale that seamlessly blends humor and brutality, capturing both the human condition and the natural world in all its complexity.

Tama is a vulnerable chick when Marnie rescues him, but his fate could have been sealed when her husband Rob, a farmer, threatens, “If it keeps me awake, I’ll have to wring its neck.” Yet Tama’s presence begins to stir unexpected possibilities for their lives. Unlike any ordinary bird, Tama can speak, and soon becomes an unexpected sensation. Outside, in the pines, Tama’s father warns him of humanity’s cruelty. Inside the house, Marnie confides her painful struggles in her abusive marriage. As Tama witnesses more, the boundaries between the human and animal worlds begin to blur, exposing the vulnerability, darkness, and flickering hope within both.

Part trickster, part surrogate child, and part observer, Tama the magpie is the beating heart of this story. Though his words to humans are often nonsensical (and often humorous), they carry a deeply unsettling reflection of the human experience. The Axeman’s Carnival is Catherine Chidgey at her best—humorous, poignant, poetic, and true.

“A writer of formidable talent, a masterful stylist with remarkable imaginative insight.” —The Guardian