Nail House

Lindon, an Australian project manager with a failed marriage behind him, is lured to China with the promise of a lucrative salary. His task: to solve the problem of a `nail house', the home of a stubborn old man who refuses to relocate, even as the bulldozers move in and the skyscrapers grow around him.But as Lindon negotiates with the old man's family, he finds sense where there is none, and love where there is war.

'Absorbing, with twists and turns' —Mobo Gao, Professor of Chinese Studies, University of Adelaide; `With the subtlest of touches, Baines succeeds in capturing the competing desires and concerns of a nation's inexorable rise' —Susie Gordon, Editor at Alluvium

Originally from Sydney, Gregory Baines moved to China in 2001 where he spent thirteen years as an English teacher. During this time, he became a short story writer, publishing collections with other writers. In his last years there, he started 'The Nail House', much of it inspired by his experiences living in China. Returning to Australia a few years ago, Gregory now lives in a small country village outside Canberra.