This week, Paul Rushworth-Brown sat down with Sai to talk about Outback Odyssey

By Amanda Smith

Welcome back to The Mind of Sai Marie. This week, Paul Rushworth-Brown sat down with Sai to discuss Outback Odyssey—a novel already being hailed as hauntingly honest and even compared to To Kill a Mockingbird for its allegorical depth.

For those unfamiliar, Outback Odyssey follows Jimmy, a young Yorkshire migrant born in post-war England and abandoned on a dying outback station in 1950s Australia. Taken in by a First Nations Mob, he discovers love, belonging—and the unspoken truths that the nation still struggles to face.

What makes Paul’s work resonate isn’t just his gift for storytelling, but the lived authenticity he brings to it. He worked in the remote outback, hitchhiked across Australia, and later led the Pararoos, Australia’s national Paralympic football team. His perspective has been shaped by silence, exclusion, and resilience—and it’s those same themes that underpin the novel.

Writing as Witness

When asked about the spark for Outback Odyssey, Paul pointed to two defining moments:

His erasure from the Pararoos’ official history, despite coaching the team for a decade and even giving them their name.

The 2023 referendum, in which Australians voted down the opportunity for First Nations people to have a constitutional Voice.

“These two experiences collided,” Paul told Sai. “They gave me an insight into what it feels like not to have a say in your own story. That sense of silence became the allegorical heart of Outback Odyssey.”

Storytelling Without Preaching

Paul is quick to stress that he isn’t an advocate or a politician—he’s a storyteller. “It’s a historical romance and adventure. But allegorically, it holds up a mirror to Australia. It makes you look at prejudice and racism without preaching. It just tells a story.”

The outback itself becomes a character in the book—raw, unforgiving, but also full of spirit. “I want readers to feel as if they’re standing by a billabong, under red gums, immersed in that silence and connection to the land.”

The Writing Life

Perhaps the most striking part of the interview was Paul’s process. He doesn’t outline or plot in advance. “It’s like a movie playing in my head. I transfer it onto the page.”

Sai admitted she writes the same way, and the recognition between the two creatives was electric—two writers describing a process that feels almost otherworldly.

What Readers Will Find

Beyond the allegory, readers will discover:

A compelling romance between Jimmy and Amanda.

A treasure hunt woven into the land’s secrets.

A profoundly human struggle with belonging, memory, and resilience.

As Paul put it: “You can read it as an adventure romance, or you can dig deeper. Either way, I hope people enjoy the story.”

Looking Ahead

The interview closed on tantalising notes: Paul has left the door open for a sequel and is already in discussions with a European director about a screen adaptation. “Probably an unknown actor will play Jimmy,” he mused. “Someone who can embody that youth and vulnerability.”

For aspiring writers, his advice was blunt and straightforward: “Just start. If you told me 20 years ago I’d be here, I wouldn’t have believed you. Writing is addictive. Once you begin, you can’t stop.”

Why this matters: Outback Odyssey isn’t just another outback yarn. It’s a story of belonging, silence, and truth-telling—layered into a gripping romance and survival tale. Like To Kill a Mockingbird, it entertains while quietly challenging the way we see ourselves.

📖 Read Outback Odyssey. Walk beside Jimmy. And ask what silences we still allow today.