Winner of the 2026 Windham-Campbell Prize for Drama
Shortlisted for the 2026 Australian Book Industry Awards Biography Book of the Year

A fearless, tender memoir from the prize-winning writer of Counting and Cracking.

Shakthi lives with his family, in the house his great-grandparents built in Colombo, Sri Lanka, before the civil war. Carried across the seas to Australia, on the strength of his grandmother's will, this house breathes the joy and grief that has passed through generations. And it's here Shakthi writes about the people he loves, all of whom come together to form a portrait of Shakthi himself.

Gather Up Your World in One Long Breath is a story of fallibility, forgiveness and grace. It's a paean to fatherhood and family, and the love and conflicts that make us.

'Raw, unflinching, poetic and profound - an artist's journey and a son's' - Shankari Chandran

'A rich exploration of the mystery of finding Australia ... I loved it' - Aravind Adiga

'An intimate, tender voyage into history, hunger and home' - Omar Musa

'A beautiful and powerful exploration of the intensity and immutability of being a part of a family' - Alice Pung