Claire Nicholls

Michael Winkler, though, he made Australian literary history in 2022 when his novel Grimmish was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award.

It was the first ever self-published novel to make the shortlist.

Now, I am guessing for this new book, finding a publisher was a whole lot easier.

Text Publishing has just released Grief Dog.

Yes, that's one word with two Gs at the end.

And put simply, it's about a guy who, when it all becomes too much, decides to live as the family pet.

Hi, Michael.

I mean, why would life be better if you were a dog?

Okay.

Introduce us to your character.

His name is Geoffrey Watson-Johnson.

He's a hydrologist in Mildura.

He's a husband.

He's a father.

He exercises a lot.

What is Geoffrey's life like before he makes this wild decision?

He also comes into a bunch of money.

And when we say he wants to become the family pet, he wants to become Hubert, this doesn't mean, Michael Winkler, that he's going to run on four legs and bark at people.

What does it actually mean to him to live as, say, the family dog?

Michael Winkler, where did this all come from?