Mr. Darwin's Shooter
{{Short description|1998 novel by Roger McDonald}}
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox book |
| name = Mr Darwin's Shooter
| title_orig =
| translator =
| image = Mr Darwin's Shooter.jpg
| caption = First edition
| author = Roger McDonald
| cover_artist =
| country = Australia
| language = English
| series =
| genre = Historical fiction
| publisher = Random House Australia
| release_date = {{start date and age|1998|paren=yes}}
| media_type = Print
| pages =
| isbn = 978-0-09-183670-2
| oclc = 222251494
| preceded_by =
| followed_by =
}}
Mr Darwin's Shooter is a 1998 novel by Roger McDonald.{{cite web|title= Mr Darwin's Shooter by Roger McDonald|publisher= National Library of Australia|url= https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/316233 |access-date= 18 January 2025}} It describes the life of Syms Covington, manservant to Charles Darwin during Darwin's voyage aboard HMS Beagle.
The book deals with three periods of Covington's life: childhood, adolescence while on {{HMS|Beagle}}, and middle age, where Covington is struggling to deal with the conflict between his religious views and his role in the formulation of the theory of natural selection. Among the many animals Syms Covington shot and prepared for Charles Darwin were the Galápagos finches, which became crucial for his theory.
Notes
- Dedication: To Elinor, Anna and Stella with love and to Susie with your spirit shining.
Publication history
After the novel's initial publication by Random House Australia in 1998 it was republished as follows:
- 1998, Anchor, UK{{cite web|title= Mr. Darwin's Shooter by Roger McDonald (Anchor, 1998)|publisher= National Library of Australia|url= https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2909311 |access-date= 18 January 2025}}
- 1998, Atlantic Monthly Press, USA{{cite web|title= Mr. Darwin's Shooter by Roger McDonald (Atlantic Monthly Press, 1998)|publisher= National Library of Australia|url= https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/3305490 |access-date= 18 January 2025}}
- 1999, Vintage, Australia{{cite web|title= Mr. Darwin's Shooter by Roger McDonald (Vintage, 1999)|publisher= National Library of Australia|url= https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/755631|access-date= 18 January 2025}}
- 1999, Grove Press, USA{{cite web|title= Mr. Darwin's Shooter by Roger McDonald (Grove Press, 1998)|publisher= National Library of Australia|url= https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/4474220|access-date= 18 January 2025}}
- 2009, Vintage, Australia{{cite web|title= Mr. Darwin's Shooter by Roger McDonald (Vintage, 2009)|publisher= National Library of Australia|url= https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/4465720|access-date= 18 January 2025}}
The novel was also translated into Spanish, in 2001 and German in 2002.{{cite web|title= Austlit — Mr. Darwin's Shooter by Roger McDonald |publisher= Austlit|url=https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C236685|access-date= 18 January 2025}}
Awards and nominations
- 1999 NSW Premier's Literary Awards for Fiction, winner{{cite web|title="30-year Endeavour sails off with prize" |publisher= Sydney Morning Herald, 18 May 1999|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2674374036|access-date= 10 May 2024|id= {{ProQuest|2674374036}}}}
- 1999 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards for Fiction, winner{{cite web|title="Literary prizes sail under the bridge" |publisher= The Age, 16 October 1999, p7|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/363426003|access-date= 18 January 2025|id= {{ProQuest|363426003}}}}
- 2000 Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature, winner{{cite web|website=State Library of South Australia|url=https://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/past-literary-award-winners|title=Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature – Past Literary Award Winners|access-date=18 January 2025}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{New South Wales Premier's Prize for Fiction}}
{{Victorian Premier's Prize for Fiction}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mr. Darwin's Shooter}}
Category:1998 Australian novels
Category:Australian historical novels
Category:Novels set in the 19th century
Category:Cultural depictions of Charles Darwin
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