The Thorn in the Flesh

by Paul Wenz

160 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1999

About the author

Paul Wenz was a French writer educated in Paris where he became and remained a friend of fellow pupil André Gide. In 1892, Wenz visited Australia on business and immediately fell in love with the Australian outdoor lifestyle. In 1898, he purchased 'Nanima', a property on the Lachlan River between Forbes and Cowra where he lived with his wife and became a successful grazier.

In 1900 L'Illustration began publishing his short stories, written in French but set in Australia or the Pacific Islands. Some stories were individually published, one of which was his only book written in English, a novella, Diary of a New Chum, published in Melbourne in 1908. Numerous novels followed. "L'écharde" draws from Wenz's experiences as an Australian grazier and is a fanciful memoir of his childhood. It expresses a clear and definite sense of an Australian identity from one who didn't grow-up in Australia.

Wenz became actively involved in the Australian literary scene and made friends with Miles Franklin, Dorothea Mackellar, Nettie Palmer, G.B. Lancaster and Frank Clune.