All welcome to attend the launch of the Michael Gifkins Text Prize winner for 2021: Paper Cage by Tom Baragwanath

A child goes missing in a small town. Then another. And suddenly everyone’s holding their own kids a little tighter. Lorraine doesn’t have kids, but she has a dearly loved nephew. And she knows the police don’t have any idea about this case, because she works for them. She’s the records clerk: she sits out back among the piles of paper making connections, remembering things, working things out that the actual cops don’t want to hear about. Until the new investigator, Hayes, arrives from Wellington, and realises Lo’s the only person there with answers to his questions. Which is just as well—because the clock is running down for the children of the town.

Both a nail-biting thriller and a beautifully written portrait of a community, Paper Cage is the prize-winning debut from young New Zealand novelist Tom Baragwanath. Tom Baragwanath is originally from Masterton, NZ, and now lives in Paris. His short fiction has been widely
published. Between pastries, he’s working on his next novel.

BOOK TO ATTEND THE LAUNCH HERE

‘I really enjoyed Paper Cage. Its world feels real and its characters and relationships drew me in. Lorraine Henry is a refreshingly different crime fiction protagonist.’
Shelley Burr
‘Expansive in its reach, and stunningly singular in its detail…an exciting new voice in New Zealand storytelling.’
Fiona Sussman
‘All the sharp points of a great crime story and all the tragedy of ordinary lives hit hard. I couldn’t put it down.’
Gigi Fenster