UWA Publishing has acquired world rights to William J. Byrne’s debut adult fiction novel The Warrumbar for October 2025 publication.
Inspired in-part by William’s own family history, The Warrumbar is a fictional story set in 1969 small town country NSW and follows thirteen-year-old Robbie Brennan who meets Moses, an old man who grew up with his mother on the Aboriginal reserve that once existed on the outskirts of town. When Robbie witnesses a tragic event, he faces a choice: speak the truth and risk everything or stay silent and carry the burden forever. Told from Robbie’s perspective, The Warrumbar is a compelling coming of age story, exploring themes of historical racism, injustice and identity.
William J. Byrne, on the acquisition of The Warrumbar, says “I am absolutely delighted that UWA Publishing will bring this deeply Australian story to life. Their ongoing commitment to championing Australian authors and narratives makes this partnership incredibly meaningful to me. I was inspired to write The Warrumbar as I uncovered more about my own family’s past and the challenging, often underprivileged conditions they endured—not all that long ago. While the novel is fictional, I hope it adds to the broader understanding of Australia’s complex history, both good and bad. I’m genuinely excited to be working with the amazing team at UWA Publishing and feel very lucky to be a new member of the UWAP family.”
William grew up in the regional towns of southern New South Wales, on Wiradjuri and Ngunnawal country. His formative years were shaped by a traditional working-class family on one side and a family with systemic disadvantage on the other. A lifelong reader, with a passion for storytelling, William has been intrigued by the ways history and circumstance shape people’s lives and opportunities. This interest in the social sciences led William to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Communications (Social Inquiry) and a Graduate Diploma in Government Administration. Over the years, William has worn many hats - government professional, a tour guide in India, manager of a Travel Agency, contact centre supervisor, art consultant, hotel and hospitality worker, supermarket night stacker, milkman, paperboy and more. In addition to his love of reading and writing, William is also an avid musician who plays guitar and piano, and sings. With the release of The Warrumbar, he can now add ‘novelist’ to his diverse list of roles. He now lives in Northern Sydney on the lands of the Darramurragal people with his wife, daughter, and Border Collie.
Kate Pickard, publisher of UWA Publishing says “We're thrilled to be publishing WillIam’s debut novel in our 90th year of publishing. The Warrumbar was instantly captivating and tells a very important coming-of-age story about inequality, race and class in 1960s country NSW.”
The Warrumbar was acquired through UWA Publishing’s general submissions and will be published on 6 October 2025.
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EMAIL: marketing-uwap@uwa.edu.au
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