South Coast author Hugh Watson is receiving high praise following the release of his second novel, the silo, mid 2021, a book inspired by a visit to Wallendbeen.
The silo is a gripping thriller set in the brutal world of country politics in Gwydir NSW.
The novel takes readers on a journey of intrigue around a series of mysterious and disturbing murders.
Mr Watson said he wanted to create a story about a despicable character – all he needed was to think about how the first murder would take place.
The idea came to him while visiting friends at their property in Wallendbeen, near the town of Young.
“It was kind of a windy day and a truck pulled up in front of their silo and I walked up to watch the grain being put into the silo and I said ‘oh, that could be dangerous,'” he said. -he declares.
Mr Watson said his friend Ken told him that many accidents happen around silos and that’s when it came to his mind.
The Silo – Hugh Watson’s second novel receives great acclaim. Photo: Amandine Ahrens
“I said, ‘Aha, this is it, death in the grain elevator, or in this case murder in a grain elevator.’
Mr Watson said he wanted to incorporate the theme of politics into his second novel, drawing inspiration from his background.
“Basically the idea was to have an incredibly evil main character who was also a politician,” he said.
Mr Watson’s use of politics in his novel has been very well received by readers, with reviews from Barbie Robinson of Living Arts Canberra praising Mr Watson for his extensive knowledge of politics.
“Hugh Watson skillfully uses a deep and insightful knowledge of politics acquired during his career on the pitch to paint a picture of the unscrupulous behavior of the rich and powerful,” Ms Robinson said.
“He also understands the challenges of the Australian farmer and the constant battles with the weather, stock and crop prices, etc., and their emotional connection to their land.”
Mr Watson’s political past includes being a former Private Secretary to a Cabinet Minister among many other accomplishments such as Group Chief Executive with the Sydney Olympics Organizing Committee and being the responsible partner of Coopers and Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) in Canberra. .
He is currently an adjunct associate professor at the Australian National University and a director of his own consultancy firm.
Mr Watson said he created The silo with momentum, so readers know after a few pages who the killer is and are hungry to consume more pages.
“So there’s no idea ‘who did this?’ it’s more like ‘is he going to get caught?'” he said.
“People who have reviewed it for me have said it’s coming along really well and turning the page.”
Hugh Watson is a former Private Secretary to a Cabinet Minister and partner in charge of Coopers & Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) in Canberra.
