Careful, He Might Hear You

Winner of the Miles Franklin Award 1963, this edition includes an introduction by Robyn Nevin.

It’s the Great Depression. Six-year-old PS is an orphan. He lives in Sydney with his Aunt Lila. But all that is about to change. Now his Aunt Vanessa has decided to take proper care of him.

Careful, He Might Hear You is one of the most extraordinary portraits of childhood in Australian fiction. 

'Graceful and assured.' New York Times

Sumner Locke Elliott was born in Sydney on 17 October 1917. His mother was the writer Helena Sumner Locke. She died of eclampsia the day after his birth, and the boy was raised by his aunts. Careful, He Might Hear You was Elliott’s debut novel. It won the Miles Franklin Award in 1963, was translated into a number of languages and became an international bestseller.

Robyn Nevin AM has been a leading Australian actress for over fifty years and has directed for more than twenty-five years, directing for all state theatre companies. Robyn held the position of Associate Director with the Sydney and Melbourne theatre companies before being appointed Artistic Director of Queensland Theatre Company. Robyn was Artistic Director and CEO of Sydney Theatre Company from 1999 to 2007.

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