I’d Rather Not

Title: I’d Rather Not
Author: Robert Skinner
Publisher: Black Inc.

Shortlist: John Clarke Prize for Humour Writing

From one of Australia’s most wryly funny writers comes an original and utterly hilarious memoir of reaching for the stars while lying in a ditch.

'I was sleeping in what might reasonably be described as a ditch, though I tried not to think of it in those terms for morale reasons...'

Robert Skinner arrives in the city, searching for a richer life. Things begin badly and then, surprisingly, get slightly worse. Pretty soon he's sleeping rough and trying to run a literary magazine out of a dog park. His quest for meaning keeps being thwarted, by endless jobs, beagles, house parties, ill-advised love affairs, camel trips and bureaucratic entanglements.

Sometimes a book catches the spirit of the times. I'd Rather Not is about work, escape and that something more we all need.

Judges’ report

Robert Skinner’s I’d Rather Not is a memoir that takes a quiet delight in uncovering the utter absurdity of everyday moments, such as the humiliation of 'being employed' and the labyrinth of bureaucracy. Only the loose thread of Skinner himself connects these stories, which range from his Sisyphean attempt at running a literary magazine while living in a dog park, to travelling in a camel caravan across Australia with his parents. The brilliance of this book is the wry, sometimes deadpan humour of Skinner’s voice that permeates every single line and turns each anecdote into hilarity.

Extract

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About the Author

Robert Skinner

VPLA book photography by Sarah Walker

The 2025 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards are proudly supported by the Victorian Government through the Community Support Fund and Creative Victoria.