Cairo (novel)

Cairo is a 2013 novel by Australian author Chris Womersley.^[1] It is Womersley's third novel and it takes its name from the location where the protagonist lives, in the heritage listed Cairo Flats apartment block that is located in the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy.^[2][3] The novel also features a number of actual places and venues around Fitzroy, and on Brunswick Street, from the Punters Club, The Black Cat Cafe, Polyester Records and Rhumbarellas.^[4][5]

Cairo

First edition
Author	Chris Womersley
Language	English
Publisher	Scribe
Publication date	2013
Publication place	Australia
Pages	304
ISBN	9781925106626
OCLC	850395771

The novel is presented as a reminiscence of "Tom Button", a boy from rural Victoria who inherits an apartment in Cairo from a bohemian aunt of his. Throughout the story, no specifics are given as to which apartment number Tom lives in, but based on the descriptions in the book and former residents experiences of living there, the only plausible possibility is that Tom lives in unit 20.

Whilst living in the building Tom meets Max and Sally Cheever, a couple who also live at Cairo, in unit 28.^[2]  Through Max and Sally, Tom is introduced to a wider circle of bohemian artists and musicians, which draws him into more sinister events. The centrepiece of the story is inspired by the real theft of The Weeping Woman from the National Gallery of Victoria in 1986. No one has ever publicly admitted being involved in the theft or been charged by police.^[6]

The novel also had a limited international release. The UK edition of the book featured a different cover to the Australian edition. The French edition of the book featured a different cover, as well as a different title. In France, the book was released as "La Compagnie des artistes" (A Company of Artists).^[7]

References

1. Tang, Estelle (31 August 2013). "Bohemia and the art of theft in Fitzroy". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
2. "Books and Arts- Chris Womersley's Cairo". ABC Radio National. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 9 September 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
3. Sosnowski, Marika (24 October 2013). "The Cairo building, Fitzroy". Overland. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
4. "The Black Cat Cafe | State Library Victoria". www.slv.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 2024-09-03.
5. Martin, Josh (2020-01-23). "Losing the groove: city's vinyl institution to shut shop". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2024-09-03.
6. "'There will be no negotiation': The unsolved Picasso art heist that gripped Melbourne". ABC News. 2019-09-13. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
7. "La Compagnie des artistes (French Edition)". Goodreads. Retrieved 2024-09-04.

External links

• Video of the author talking about the novel at Scribe website.
• Interview with Chris Womersley conducted at Cairo Flats reflecting on his novel.