Towards A Distant Sea
Paul, a young Australian priest arrives in the Philippines in 1971 as Martial Law is proclaimed by President Marcos. His idealism exposes him to first-hand experiences of violence and corruption, to injustices, and above all to the heroism of Filipinos during this extraordinary period of Philippine history. And in his personal life, Paul has to confront the loneliness of the celibate foreign cleric, living alone in the tropical fecundity of Mindanao.
The narrative confronts issues still critical to contemporary society – the misuse of power and the struggle for human rights, issues of sexuality and religion, and the search for identity.
‘ … a story … about the impact of repression on the human spirit – and the way, despite all odds, humanity struggles endlessly against worldly authority.‘ – Justice Michael Kirby
Oct 2005, 176 pp
Paperback, 210 x 138 mm
Fiction; 1st Edition,
ISBN: 1 92078715 1
RRP $aud 26.95
ISBN(13): 9781920787158
The Author
John Bartlett worked as a Catholic priest in Mindanao in the Southern Philippines from 1971 until 1980. He returned to Australia and left the priesthood, working in a variety of jobs for the next twenty years before returning to his first love – writing.
His features and short stories have been published in a variety of newspapers and magazines and he works now as a freelance writer, editor and teacher. John lives on the southern coast of Australia.