Awards

• Commended for Non-fiction, Victorian Premier's Literary Awards 2022 (Australia)
• Commended for Non-fiction, Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards 2022 (Australia)

Overview

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9781922330512

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Reviews

'This book is an act of resistance. In her raw and unflinchingly honest memoir, Murphy tells the story of how she overcame shame and secrecy to claim her Deaf identity. An outstanding work and a must read.' * Jax Jacki Brown, disability activist and writer * 'The Shape of Sound is about coming of age, and coming to terms with the unseen and unspoken forces that impinge upon a life lived in a disabled or different body. In this utterly gripping book, Murphy writes with candour and elegance, as she challenges how the reader sees the world.' * Fiona Wright, author of The World Was Whole * 'Full of heart and delving into what it means to inhabit flesh, blood, sound and movement. The Shape of Sound is definitely a book I will return to over the years, and gain more from with each read. A brilliant debut.' * Katerina Bryant, author of Hysteria * 'The Shape of Sound is an exquisite, eloquent and poetic memoir. Fiona Murphy draws the reader into a different sensory world, and provides a devastating critique of a society that all too often punishes disability. A damn fine read.' * Astrid Edwards, host of Anonymous Was a Woman and The Garret: Writers on Writing * 'The Shape of Sound is a game-changer, a book that challenges assumptions not only about what it means to be deaf, but what it takes to truly listen, communicate and connect.' * Angela Savage, author of Mother of Pearl * 'I have been waiting for Fiona Murphy's debut: a memoir about the lived experience of deafness and a developing understanding of disability as cultural identity. There is no reading The Shape of Sound without wishing that every Australian would read it too.' * Sam Twyford-Moore, author of The Rapids * 'A beautifully crafted memoir describing the gifts of a life without sound.' * Jessica White, author of Hearing Maud * 'Powerfully written-books like this restore the world.' * Sarah Krasnostein, author of The Trauma Cleaner * 'Fiona Murphy is a spectacular writer. Her memoir about keeping a medical secret close, then celebrating disability, Deaf identity and community, highlights the need to remove barriers to access and inclusion. The Shape of Sound is brilliant.' * Carly Findlay, author of Say Hello * 'A unique voice that reveals the world anew. Mark the name Fiona Murphy.' * Bri Li, author of Eggshell Skull * 'In The Shape of Sound Fiona Murphy impressively turns the intimate yet inanimate sense of hearing into a tangible, tactical object to be shared and explored with readers. Through a personal lens, she investigates the social, environmental, economical and political impacts of deafness and disability with rigour, yet without ever losing a pervading humanity. The Shape of Sound is an impressive accomplishment, equally industrious and delicate, and an exciting addition to Australian disability literature.' * Kylie Maslen * 'I devoured this in a day, fascinated, enlightened, moved.' * Helen Garner *

'The Shape of Sound is an exquisite, eloquent and poetic memoir. Fiona Murphy draws the reader into a different sensory world, and provides a devastating critique of a society that all too often punishes disability. A damn fine read.' * Astrid Edwards, host of Anonymous Was a Woman and The Garret: Writers on Writing * 'The Shape of Sound is a game-changer, a book that challenges assumptions not only about what it means to be deaf, but what it takes to truly listen, communicate and connect.' * Angela Savage, author of Mother of Pearl * 'I have been waiting for Fiona Murphy's debut: a memoir about the lived experience of deafness and a developing understanding of disability as cultural identity. There is no reading The Shape of Sound without wishing that every Australian would read it too.' * Sam Twyford-Moore, author of The Rapids * 'A beautifully crafted memoir describing the gifts of a life without sound.' * Jessica White, author of Hearing Maud * 'Powerfully written-books like this restore the world.' * Sarah Krasnostein, author of The Trauma Cleaner * 'Fiona Murphy is a spectacular writer. Her memoir about keeping a medical secret close, then celebrating disability, Deaf identity and community, highlights the need to remove barriers to access and inclusion. The Shape of Sound is brilliant.' * Carly Findlay, author of Say Hello * 'A unique voice that reveals the world anew. Mark the name Fiona Murphy.' * Bri Li, author of Eggshell Skull * 'In The Shape of Sound Fiona Murphy impressively turns the intimate yet inanimate sense of hearing into a tangible, tactical object to be shared and explored with readers. Through a personal lens, she investigates the social, environmental, economical and political impacts of deafness and disability with rigour, yet without ever losing a pervading humanity. The Shape of Sound is an impressive accomplishment, equally industrious and delicate, and an exciting addition to Australian disability literature.' * Kylie Maslen * 'I devoured this in a day, fascinated, enlightened, moved.' * Helen Garner *

'A unique voice that reveals the world anew. Mark the name Fiona Murphy.' * Bri Li, author of Eggshell Skull * 'In The Shape of Sound Fiona Murphy impressively turns the intimate yet inanimate sense of hearing into a tangible, tactical object to be shared and explored with readers. Through a personal lens, she investigates the social, environmental, economical and political impacts of deafness and disability with rigour, yet without ever losing a pervading humanity. The Shape of Sound is an impressive accomplishment, equally industrious and delicate, and an exciting addition to Australian disability literature.' * Kylie Maslen * 'I devoured this in a day, fascinated, enlightened, moved.' * Helen Garner *

'I devoured this in a day, fascinated, enlightened, moved.' * Helen Garner *

Author Information

Fiona Murphy is a Deaf poet and essayist. Her work has been published in Kill Your Darlings, Overland, Griffith Review and the Big Issue, among other publications. In 2019, she was awarded the Overland Fair Australia Essay Prize and the Monash Undergraduate Creative Writing Prize. In 2018, she was shortlisted for the Richell Prize and highly commended by the Wheeler Centre Next Chapter program.

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