The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke

The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke, a comic verse novel, was first published in book form in 1915 and sold more than sixty thousand copies in nine editions within a year. By the mid-1970s nearly three hundred thousand copies had been sold internationally. One of the most famous works of Australian literature, it tells the story of Bill, a larrikin, who meets a young woman named Doreen. The book chronicles their courtship and marriage, and Bill's transformation from a thuggish gang member to a contented husband and father. This edition has a new introduction by the actor Jack Thompson, renowned for his readings of C.J. Dennis's work. The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke is a perennial Australian favourite.

About the Author

Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis, better known as C. J. Dennis, was born in South Australia in 1876. A journalist, among other occupations, he was much loved for his humorous poems, especially The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke. He died in Melbourne in 1938. Alongside A. B. 'Banjo' Paterson and Henry Lawson, both of whom he collaborated with, he ranks among Australia's most popular poets.