Shortlisted for the 2013 Stella Prize
The Sunlit Zone – Lisa Jacobson
Fiction · Five Islands Press
About the book
The Sunlit Zone is a moving elegy of love and loss, admirable for its narrative sweep and the family dynamic that drives it. A risk-taking work of rare, imaginative power.
‘The Sunlit Zone combines the narrative drive of the novel with the perfect pitch of true poetry. A darkly futuristic vision shot through with bolts of light. Brilliant, poignant, disconcerting.’ Adrian Hyland
‘This novel in verse, at once magical and irresistible, draws us in to a vivid future. In Lisa Jacobson’s telling, the Australian fascination with salt water and sea change is made over anew. Romance holds hands with science and takes to the ocean.’ Chris Wallace-Crabbe
“This novel in verse, at once magical and irresistible, draws us in to a vivid future.”
– 2013 Stella Prize
About the author
Lisa Jacobson
Lisa Jacobson’s The Sunlit Zone was shortlisted for the 2009 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for an unpublished manuscript. An earlier poetry collection, Hair & Skin & Teeth, was shortlisted for the National Book Council Awards. She has studied literature at Melbourne and La Trobe Universities, and remains an Honorary Research Fellow at La Trobe. She shares a bush block in Melbourne with her partner and daughter.
Explore the latest from Stella
2025 Stella Prize Longlist: Reflections Inga Simpson, author of The Thinning, talks about her writing journey for this novel and how bringing together …
2025 Stella Prize Longlist: Reflections Dylin Hardcastle, author of A Language of Limbs, reflects on their inspirations for their writing process. What is the …
2025 Stella Prize Longlist: Reflections Michelle de Kretser, author of Theory & Practice, reflects on her writing routine. What are the things you …
Help change the story
As a not-for-profit organisation with ambitious goals, Stella relies on the generous support of donors to help fund our work.
Every donation is important to us and allows Stella to continue its role as the leading voice for gender equality and cultural change in Australian literature.
Stella is a not-for-profit organisation with DGR status. All donations of $2 or more are tax-deductible.
