English Passengers

WINNER OF THE WHITBREAD BOOK AWARD 2000 
 
SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2000 
 
'Deeply impressive. . . Every page fizzes with linguistic invention' Guardian 
 
An electrifying modern classic - Kneale's sweeping adventure story vividly brings a past age to life 
 
In 1857 when Captain Illiam Quillian Kewley and his band of rum smugglers from the Isle of Man have most of their contraband confiscated by British Customs, they are forced to put their ship up for charter. The only takers are two eccentric Englishmen who want to embark for the other side of the globe. The Reverend Geoffrey Wilson believes the Garden of Eden was on the island of Tasmania. His travelling partner, Dr. Thomas Potter, unbeknownst to Wilson, is developing a sinister thesis about the races of men. Meanwhile, an aboriginal in Tasmania named Peevay recounts his people's struggles against the invading British. 
 
'A big, ambitious novel with a rich historical sweep and a host of narrative voices . . . The sort of novel that few contemporary writers have either the imagination or the stamina to sustain' Daily Telegraph

Matthew Kneale was born in 1960. He is the author of three critically acclaimed novels, including SWEET THAMES (1992), which won the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize. He lives in Oxford.

In 1857 when Captain Illiam Quillian Kewley and his band of rum smugglers from the Isle of Man have most of their contraband confiscated by British Customs, they are forced to put their ship up for charter. The only takers are two eccentric Englishmen who want to embark for the other side of the globe. The Reverend Geoffrey Wilson believes the Garden of Eden was on the island of Tasmania. His travelling partner, Dr. Thomas Potter, unbeknownst to Wilson, is developing a sinister thesis about the races of men. Meanwhile, an aboriginal in Tasmania named Peevay recounts his people's struggles against the invading British.

Matthew Kneale

[Recent atheist polemics are littered] with facts and histories, but there seems to be a lack of empathy and…explanation. Kneale’s book addresses both these flaws and is all the more welcome because of it… Rich and fulfilling

Understanding Our Most Extraordinary Invention

What first prompted prehistoric man, sheltering in the shadows of deep caves, to call upon the realm of the spirits? 
 
And why has belief thrived ever since, leading us to invent heaven and hell, sin and redemption, and above all, gods? 
 
Religion reflects our deepest hopes and fears; whether you are a believer or, like Matthew Kneale, a non-believer who admires mankind's capacity to create and to imagine, it has shaped our world. And as our dreams and nightmares have changed over the millennia, so have our beliefs - from shamans to Aztec priests, from Buddhists to Christians: the gods we created have evolved with us. 
 
Belief is humanity's most epic invention. It has always been our closest companion and greatest consolation. To understand it is to better understand ourselves.

An Atheist's History of Belief

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