"Marge, it takes two to lie: one to lie and one to listen. " (Homer Simpson)
Although much has been written about some of the more famous hoaxes in Australian history (most notably Ern Malley and Helen Demidenko), there is no general history covering the length and breadth of this phenomenon, much less one that seeks to understand its nature and meaning.
Simon Caterson's research into the history of Australian hoaxing revealed that Malley and Demidenko were just the tip of the iceberg. There were many other hoaxing episodes over the past two centuries, though many have not been given the attention they deserve nor have they been viewed as part of a national tradition.
Hoax! gathers them all together and places them within a historical and cultural context, comparing them to international hoaxes, both past and present. Hoax! Unravels the little (and big) untruths of the scandals that rocked the art and literature worlds, including those of Norma Khouri's Forbidden Love, James Frey's A Million Little Pieces, the "Indigenous" painter "Eddie Burrup" (an invention of artist Elizabeth Durack) and many more.
Caterson has not only produced a major and definitive contribution to Australian culture but has also written a rollicking, humorous tale of those itching for the limelight, no matter what.
