The Nail House - A novel of Modern China by Canberra Author Greg Baines

Canberra author Gregory Baines talks about his book The Nail House -A novella set against the background of massive urban and cultural change, and the challenges of corruption - both domestic and foreign

6pm Thursday October 10, 2019 at Asia Bookroom

Lindon, an Australian project manager with a failed marriage behind him, is lured to China with the promise of a lucrative salary. His task: to solve the problem of a ‘Nail House’, the home of a stubborn old man who refuses to relocate, even as the bulldozers move in and the skyscrapers grow around him.

But as Lindon negotiates with the old man’s family, he finds sense where there is none. And love where there is war.

Author Gregory Baines lived in Newcastle, Sydney and Tasmania, before attending Newcastle University (NSW) where he completed an arts degree focused on History and English. After working for three years as a web designer and project manager in Sydney, he moved to China to teach.

Stimulated by being plunged into a new world Gregory started to write frequently while living in China. His short stories were published on Café Diverso and included in a short story collection published in Shanghai, Party Like It’s 1984. During his last three years there, he started working on his debut novella, which he completed upon returning to Australia.

Gregory now lives in a small country village outside Canberra. In his spare time he likes to paint.