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Jock Serong

ジョック・セロン

Jock Serong

Aliases: Justin Serong
Pen Names: Justin Serong（birth name）

Profile

Gender
Male
Nationality
Australian
Languages
English
Residence History
Grew up in Melbourne bayside suburbs; currently resides in Port Fairy, Victoria, Australia

Career

Occupations
Writer, Former lawyer
Active Years
2014-

Education

Xavier College
Country: Australia
Attended Xavier's Kostka Hall junior campus in Brighton (Years 4–8) and completed secondary education at Xavier College in Kew.
University of Melbourne
Melbourne Law School / Law
Degree: LLB
Year of Graduation: 1995
Country: Australia
Reported to have also majored in archaeology.

Awards

Ned Kelly Award
2015
Work: Quota
Category: Best First Novel
Result: Winner
Ned Kelly Award
2017
Work: The Rules of Backyard Cricket
Category: Best Novel
Result: Shortlisted
ARA Historical Novel Prize
2021
Work: The Burning Island
Result: Winner
ARA Historical Novel Prize
2023
Work: The Settlement
Result: Shortlisted
Colin Roderick Award
2018
Work: On the Java Ridge
Result: Winner
Colin Roderick Award
2017
Work: The Rules of Backyard Cricket
Result: Shortlisted
Colin Roderick Award
2023
Work: The Settlement
Result: Longlisted
Staunch Book Prize
2018
Work: On the Java Ridge
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Quota

2014 Crime fiction

Debut novel; a work of crime fiction dealing with crime, legal issues and local community dynamics.

CrimeJusticeLocal community

The Rules of Backyard Cricket

2016 Fiction

A novel exploring family, relationships and social nuances.

FamilyRelationshipsSuburbia

On the Java Ridge

2017 Thriller / Fiction

A tense narrative concerned with violence and ethics; noted for meeting criteria of a thriller without depictions of violence against women.

EthicsViolenceCommunity

Preservation

2019 Historical fiction

A historical novel set around the Furneaux Islands, exploring regional history and stories of the sea.

HistorySeaLocal community

The Burning Island

2020 Historical fiction

Central book in a trilogy set in the Furneaux Islands; carefully depicts regional history and interpersonal relationships.

HistoryLand and memoryCommunity

The Settlement

2022 Historical fiction

The concluding volume of the trilogy, addressing settlement, its legacies, and the transformation of community.

SettlementMemoryChange

Cherrywood

2024 Fiction

A 2024 novel; detailed plot information not available in source material.

Bibliography

  • Quota
  • The Rules of Backyard Cricket
  • On the Java Ridge
  • Preservation
  • The Burning Island
  • The Settlement
  • Cherrywood
  • Contributor: Minds Went Walking: Paul Kelly's Songs Reimagined (contribution)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Historically informed narrationDetailed evocations of seascape and localeTightly constructed, tension-driven plotting
Recurring Motifs
The seaIsolated communitiesMemory and past violences

Legacy

Recognized in contemporary Australian fiction, particularly historical fiction. Known for a Furneaux Islands trilogy and for receiving and being shortlisted for multiple literary awards.

Trivia

  • Birth name is Justin Serong.
  • Grew up in Melbourne bayside suburbs; now lives in Port Fairy, Victoria.
  • Former lawyer; graduated University of Melbourne with an LLB; reported to have also majored in archaeology.
  • Co-edited the short-lived journal Great Ocean Quarterly established in 2013.
  • Works have been recognized by the Ned Kelly Award, ARA Historical Novel Prize and the Staunch Book Prize.