Wild Surmise

Wild Surmise
Author	Dorothy Porter
Language	English
Publisher	Picador, Australia
Publication date	2002
Publication place	Australia
Media type	Print (Paperback)
Pages	293
ISBN	0330363808
Preceded by	What a Piece of Work
Followed by	El Dorado

Wild Surmise is a 2002 verse novel by Australian poet Dorothy Porter which was shortlisted for the 2003 Miles Franklin Award.

Notes

Dedication: For Andy
Epigraph: 'There felt I like some watcher of the skies, When a new planet swims into his ken; or like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes, he stared at the Pacific - and all his men look'd at each other with a wild surmise -' - 'On First Looking into Chapman's Homer.' John Keats
Epigraph: 'Behold now, standing before you, the man who has pierced the air and penetrated the sky, wended his way amongst the stars and overpassed the margins of the world. - 'La Cena de le Ceneri.' Giordano Bruni (1548-1600).

Adaptation

This novel was adapted for the stage by Jane Montgomery Griffiths and directed by Marion Potts. Performances of the play were held at the Malthouse Theatre, in Melbourne, in November and December 2012.

Reviews

The Sydney Morning Herald

Awards and nominations

2003 shortlisted Miles Franklin Literary Award
2004 winner Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature (SA) — John Bray Award for Poetry
2004 winner Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature (SA) — Premier's Award for the Best Overall Published Work

References

↑ "Wild Surmise by Dorothy Porter". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
↑ ""Wild Surmise" by Andrew Fuhrmann". Australian Book Review. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
↑ ""Wild Surmise" by David McCooey". The Sydney Morning Herald, 8 November 2002. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
↑ ""Rhyming couple share life, love and an illustrious shortlist"". The Age, 16 May 2003, p7. ProQuest 363624188. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
1 2 "Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature – Past Literary Award Winners". State Library of South Australia. Retrieved 16 July 2026.

[1] "Wild Surmise by Dorothy Porter". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 16 July 2026.

[2] ""Wild Surmise" by Andrew Fuhrmann". Australian Book Review. Retrieved 16 July 2026.

[3] ""Wild Surmise" by David McCooey". The Sydney Morning Herald, 8 November 2002. Retrieved 16 July 2026.

[4] ""Rhyming couple share life, love and an illustrious shortlist"". The Age, 16 May 2003, p7. ProQuest 363624188. Retrieved 16 July 2026.

[SLSA-5] 1 2 "Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature – Past Literary Award Winners". State Library of South Australia. Retrieved 16 July 2026.