When Colts Ran

9781864710410Preceded byThe Ballad of Desmond Kale Followed byThe Following 

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

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.

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

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

• 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]