The Songlines

1987 book by Bruce Chatwin The Songlines First editionAuthorBruce ChatwinLanguageEnglishPublisherFranklin PressPublication date1987Publication placeUnited KingdomMedia typePrint (Hardback & Paperback) The Songlines is a 1987 book written by British novelist and travel writer Bruce Chatwin about the songs of Aboriginal Australians and their connections to nomadic travel. A roman à clef that combines novel, travelogue, and memoir, Chatwin blends elements of fiction and non-fiction to describe a trip to Australia's Northern Territory in search of a better understanding of Aboriginal culture and religion, the Aboriginal land rights movement, and the Australian Outback more generally. The book is Chatwin's most famous work, a best seller upon publication in both the United States and United Kingdom. Synopsis and other details The book is centered around a British writer named "Bruce" who travels to Alice Springs, Australia, to join a land surveyor mapping the location of a proposed 1,500 Kilometre railway line to be constructed from Alice Springs to Darwin, Australia. Specifically, the narrator befriends "Arkady," a local who is tasked by the rail company with conferring with local Abo