''Out of Ireland'' is a 1999 novel by Christopher Koch that tells the story of Irish 'gentleman-convict' Robert Devereux and his transportation to Van Diemen's Land (

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

). Koch observed that ''Out of Ireland'' was an exploration of his "interest in the idea that the past resonates off the future." The novel is considered uniquely Tasmanian because of the way it deals with convict ancestry and emphasizes the island's geographic isolation.

Plot

The novel starts with Devereux, an Irish revolutionary, aboard a convict prison hulk in Bermuda. It then follows his transportation to Van Diemen's Land, his release and subsequent adventures on the island.

Reception

''Out of Ireland'' was well received, winning the Colin Roderick Award in 1999 and the

Victorian Premier's Prize for Fiction The Victorian Premier's Prize for Fiction, formerly known as the Vance Palmer Prize for Fiction, is a prize category in the annual Victorian Premier's Literary Award. As of 2011 it has an remuneration of 25,000. The winner of this category prize vi ...

in 2000.

References

{{Reflist 1999 Australian novels Australian historical novels Novels set in Tasmania Doubleday (publisher) books