Go-Betweens frontman’s debut novel draws sharp criticism in The Guardian

Robert Forster, the frontman of the Go-Betweens, has released his debut novel, Songwriters on the Run, through Penguin Australia. Priced at $34.99, the book is a fictional caper set in 1991 in central Queensland, following two musicians who flee police custody after being charged with drug and fraud offences. The novel has received a negative review in The Guardian, with the critic describing the work as hitting a "dud note" compared to Forster’s previous non-fiction works.

The review, published on 15 May 2026, criticises the prose for lacking "melody or rhythm" and describes the dialogue as "plodding and full of exposition". The critic notes a lack of emotional resonance and suggests that some musings on songwriting sound "AI-generated". Specific awkward sentences were highlighted, including: "Her prominent feature is a long straight nose, dividing her face into two attractive sides" and "Bingo twirls an arm over the armrest as if scooping water from a leaky boat."

The review acknowledges Forster’s success in evoking Australian scenes and locales, particularly 1980s St Kilda and small-town Queensland, but states these moments are "too few and far between". The novel includes references to real music industry figures and bands, such as Creedence Clearwater Revival and Warners Brothers Publishing. Paul Kelly provided a cover blurb describing the book as a "comic odyssey" and "crime thriller", which the reviewer disputes.

Forster is the frontman of the Brisbane-based band the Go-Betweens. He previously wrote Grant & I, a memoir detailing his songwriting partnership with Grant McLennan. Forster has a history of writing excellent music criticism for The Monthly. The novel is set in 1991, a period in the band's history, though the characters and plot are fictional. The protagonist characters, Mick Woods and Drew Lovelock, are described as "rock-star-wrecked handsome" men in their 30s with a "seventies folk-rock sound".

The narrative follows Mick Woods and Drew Lovelock, two long-maned musicians in their 30s who have found some critical acclaim with a "seventies folk-rock sound". After being caught with a bag of weed and charged with credit card fraud and driving a stolen car, they spring out of a correctional facility and attempt to reach Melbourne to contact their manager, Bingo. An agent from Warners Brothers Publishing in the US is also trying to uncover the identities of two singer-songwriters who have turned up on a blank cassette tape.

Throughout the novel, the weight of Forster’s experience, knowledge and love of music and their makers is apparent, even if the story woven around it is not. The reviewer suggests that while the book is a rollicking, rock’n’roll road trip, even a passage about snorting speed in a roadie’s car is sedating. The critic concludes that the narrative is overwhelmed by exposition and contains awkward sentences, describing the work as a 'dud note' despite Forster's established reputation for music criticism and memoir.

Songwriters on the Run is out now via Penguin Australia.