Holden Sheppard Reveals Details For Newest Novel King Of Dirt
Image: Image: Holden Sheppard (Supplied), King Of Dirt (Pantera Press)
Award winning author of Invisible Boys, the book turned hit television show, Holden Sheppard has just released exciting news about his next novel.
With Invisible Boys taking off around the country at the moment he has announced the title and release date for book number three.
And if you’re super keen, it’s already available to pre-order today.
Holden Sheppard prepares to release third novel
Life doesn’t seem to be slowing down for Holden Sheppard.
With Invisible Boys debuting at number one on Stan Australia last week, everyone has been talking about his work.
Just in time for the show Holden has been off on a mini tour in Australia to relaunch the book, however yesterday he made a surprise announcement.
Although many knew that his third novel was completed and ready for release soon, on Friday Holden dropped the cover of the book, announcing when it was due for release.
“I am so pumped to share the awesome cover for my upcoming adult novel KING OF DIRT, published by Pantera Press” he posted online.
“KING OF DIRT is a gritty and heartfelt gay coming-of-age story set in the world of FIFO workers and tradies in Western Australia” he continued.
The cover features a mysterious (and sexy) many on the cover along with some already glowing reviews.
“Sheppard writes with complexity and realism about coming of age (and coming out)” reads one.
“Holden Sheppard at his rip-roaring best. It’s tough, it’s real, above all it’s heartbreaking” writes the other.
Holden also shared a blurb of the upcoming novel.
“Giacomo Brolo, aka Jack, is a mess. He works piecemeal construction gigs in remote WA, drinks himself to oblivion and is estranged from his family and friends. He鈥檚 consumed by a self-loathing all too common for closeted men who have grown up in a world of hate and shame” he said.
“But then Jack returns to his regional hometown of Geraldton for a family wedding. He hasn鈥檛 been back since he fled at the age of eighteen, and his past soon catches up with him. Turns out Jack鈥檚 deeply conservative Italian family would prefer he remained in the closet. Then he finds out he may have conceived a son with his teenage girlfriend, and now Jack needs to convince her and her new husband that he鈥檚 fit to be a father figure. And whatever happened to Xavier, the former schoolmate who Jack was in love with and whose rejection spurred him to leave Geraldton in the first place?”
“Is Jack doomed to live a dead-end life 鈥� or can he open himself up to the possibility of love, found family and connection?”
Sheppard shared news of the upcoming novel, originally to be released under a different name, in August last year.
鈥淭his is the most vulnerable book I鈥檝e ever written鈥� he said at the time.
鈥淚nstead of splitting myself into three narrators, as with my previous novels, in聽[King Of Dirt]聽I鈥檝e channeled everything into one narrator鈥� he described.
However like previous novels Sheppard鈥檚 protagonist will reflect aspects of his own life and experiences.
鈥淟ike me, Jack Brolo is a misfit of a bloke trying to find his place in the world and his labourer鈥檚 voice gives the novel this sense of rowdy聽radical honesty about what being a working-class gay man looks like鈥� he reflected.
鈥淚鈥檓 so pumped to share this story with the world and I can鈥檛 wait for readers to meet Jack.鈥�
King Of Dirt will be released in stores across Australia & New Zealand on June 3, 2025 and is now available for pre-order.
A fourth book, which Holden teased is a sequel to Invisible Boys, is expected (but not confirmed) to be released in 2026.
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