| Emily Bitto Photo by Sarah Enticnap |
Wildest dreams
Emily Bitto's second novel
raises compelling questions
about writing and living.
BY SAM COONEY
Summer 2021
The 25 best Australian books of 2021
We’re on Zoom. Again.
Emily Bitto and I gaze at our screens, looking at each other’s pixelated faces — very much not the same as looking into someone’s eyes — both of us occasionally sneaking glances at each other’s pixelated surroundings. I’m sitting at my dining table, kitchen in the background; Bitto is in the study of her Brunswick West home, a hot-pink Jackie Marshall tour poster stuck to the door of a vintage standalone wardrobe, reminding me of a time when musicians toured and audiences danced. Bitto’s bleached short pixie haircut is even lighter in the afternoon sun.