ISBN: 9781925950069
234 x 153 mm
256 pp

Symphony for the Man
Sarah Brill
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1999. Winter. Bondi. Harry’s been on the streets so long he could easily forget what time is. So Harry keeps an eye on it. Every morning. Then he heads to the beach to chat with the gulls. Or he wanders through the streets in search of food, clothes, Jules. When the girl on the bus sees him, lonely and cold in the bus shelter that he calls home, she thinks about how she can help. She decides to write a symphony for him.

So begins a poignant and gritty tale of homelessness and shelter, of the realities of loneliness and hunger, and of the hopes and dreams of those who often go unnoticed on our streets. This is the story of two outcasts – one a young woman struggling to find her place in an alien world, one an older man seeking refuge and solace from a life in tatters. It is also about the transformative power of care and friendship, and the promise of escape that music holds.

An uplifting and heartbreaking story that demands empathy. Amid the struggles to belong and fit in, we are reminded that small acts of kindness matter. And big dreams are possible.

 

Simple, rippling, meditative prose details a miracle of kindness.

—Carmel Bird

IN THE NEWS FEBRUARY 2020

Spinifex Press is delighted to announce Sparkplug Films has optioned the film rights to Sarah Brill’s novel Symphony for the Man.

Sparkplug founder Mark Forytarz said "When I began to read Symphony for the Man I was immediately completely engaged as I was drawn into this beautiful story about Harry, the Homeless Man and a young woman who wants to help Harry, by learning on how to write a symphony, a personal symphony, just for Harry. This gritty, despairing tale of homelessness, and the pure, heartfelt act of kindness, sees a special friendship blossom. I felt Symphony for the Man should be made into a film, where it translates well from print onto the cinema screen and will captivate the audience."

Mark is the founder of Sparkplug Films and the Melbourne Film Factory. Mark was a co-producer of PAWNO, the critically acclaimed film nominated for 6 AACTA awards and the winner of the Jury Grand Prize for the best feature film at Cannes Cinema des Antipodes, as part of the Cannes Film Festival. His next feature films to be released in his role as Executive Producer are Measure 4 Measure starring Hugo Weaving and Never too Late starring Jack Thompson, Jacki Weaver & James Cromwell.