The Absurdity of War

Writing of his experiences as a soldier in the depths of Iraq and Afghanistan for his acclaimed short story collection Bring Out the Dog, Will Mackin said his core objective was “to try to capture the weirdness”. A former pilot in the Pakistani Air Force, Mohammed Hanif’s Red Birds is a surreal savage satire on the Middle East’s ceaseless wars. They discuss their celebrated books and war’s essential absurdity.

Chair: Geordie Williamson

Will Mackin is supported by the Consulate of the United States

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Born in Okara, Pakistan, Mohammed Hanif is a graduate of the Pakistan Air Force Academy, journalist and writer. His first novel A Case of Exploding Mangoes won the Commonwealth Prize for Best Book and his most recent is Red Birds.

A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Will Mackin served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Bring Out The Dog is his first collection of short stories.

Geordie Williamson is chief literary critic of The Australian. He's a former publisher of the Picador imprint and a recent Editor of Best Australian Essays.

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