When Colts Ran

When Colts Ran is a 2010 novel by Australian novelist Roger McDonald.

When Colts Ran

First edition
Author	Roger McDonald
Language	English
Publisher	Vintage, Australia
Publication date	2010
Publication place	Australia
Media type	Print (Paperback)
Pages	346
ISBN	9781864710410
Preceded by	The Ballad of Desmond Kale
Followed by	The Following

Plot summary

The "Colts" of the title is the principal character, Kingsley Colts, an orphan being raised by World War I veteran Dunc Buckler and his wife Veronica. The novel follows the arc of Colts's life, from station hand to World War II in New Guinea to livestock agent, broken, forlorn and alcoholic.

Notes

Epigraph:

Peaseblossom.........Ready.
Cobweb.......................... And I.
Moth ......................................And I
Mustardseed....................................And I.
All..........................................................Where shall we go?

- A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act III, Scene I

Reviews

• The Sydney Morning Herald^[1]
• ANZ LitLovers LitBlog^[2]

Awards and nominations

• 2011 shortlisted Indie Awards — Fiction^[3]
• 2011 shortlisted Miles Franklin Literary Award^[3]
• 2011 shortlisted Prime Minister's Literary Awards — Fiction^[3]
• 2011 shortlisted Victorian Premier's Literary Awards — The Vance Palmer Prize for Fiction^[3]
• 2012 longlisted International Dublin Literary Award^[3]