One teacher. One school. One year.

Brendan James Murray has been a high school teacher for more than ten years. In that time he has seen hundreds of kids move through the same hallways and classrooms – boisterous, angry, shy, big-hearted, awkward – all of them on the journey to adulthood.

In The School, he paints an astonishingly vivid portrait of a single school year, perfectly capturing the highs and lows of being a teenager, as well as the fire, passion and occasional heartbreak of being their teacher. Hilarious, heartfelt and true, it is a timeless story of a teacher and his classes, a must-read for any parent, and a tribute to the art of teaching.

‘In this eloquently written book Brendan James Murray has captured the good, the bad, the unjust and the fabulously inspirational about one year in a high school. It is raw, real and accurate story that lands on hope and deep gratitue for the exceptional teacher who teach with heart and soul.’ – Maggie Dent, author of From Boys to Men

‘By the second page you care, and from the fourth you are absolutely hooked. Murray wades into the nightmare lives that many Australian kids inhabit in our unjust and unequal society. He reminds us how schools and caring teachers can provide the only chance of a life that some kids have. A very moving book.’ – Steve Biddulph, author of Fully Human

‘I immediately want to give this book to every teacher I know. An outstanding work of non-fiction storytelling, Murray gives a voice to one of the most important yet undervalued professions in the modern world: teaching. Stunningly written, moving, and full of perspective-changing insights, The School is ultimately a story we should all pay attention to.’ – Jessie Stephens, author of Heartsick

SHORTLISTED FOR THE NSW PREMIER’S LITERARY AWARDS THE DOUGLAS STEWART PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2022

Author Biography

Brendan James Murray teaches high school English at the school he attended. He is also the award-winning author of two previous books, Venom and The Drowned Man. He lives in the Mornington Peninsula with his wife, who is also a teacher.

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