Mr Featherstone has been published widely. His previous works include by Nigel Featherstone his story collection Joy, his debut novel Remnants, and The Beach Volcano, which is the third in a series of novellas.

He also wrote the libretto for The Weight of Light, a contemporary song cycle that had its world premiere in 2018.

Bodies of Men is a tender story about two men whose lives are brought together in tragedy during WWII.

Only hours after disembarking in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1941 William Marsh, an Australian corporal at 21 is face down in the sand, caught in a stoush with the Italian enemy. He is saved by James Kelly, a childhood friend from Sydney and the last person he expected to see. But where William escapes unharmed, not all are so fortunate.

William is sent to supervise an army depot in the Western Desert, with a private directive to find an AWOL soldier: James Kelly. When the two are reunited, James is recovering from an accident, hidden away in the home of an unusual family with secrets. Together they will risk it all to find answers. Soon William and James are thrust headlong into territory more dangerous than either could have imagined.

This book was begun while Nigel was writer-in-residence at the Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra in 2013.

His aim was to research different expressions of masculinity under military pressure, expressions that may have become buried under the weight of 'official history'.

"The novel] very much came from the research. While I read the material, I made notes," he said.

"Soon James and William emerged, as did the supporting cast. And then came their various predicaments. So much of what is in the novel has been inspired by what I found on the historical record, from scholarly material to memoirs, diaries, hand-held movie footage, photographs, visual art."

The talk will begin at 6:30pm, with light refreshments served, and copies of the book available for sale and signing.

The session is free, but bookings are essential and can be made online at https://www.trybooking.com/BFDEO, in person at the Library, or by calling on (02) 4823 4435.