The Empty Honour Board
Jul 2023 · Penguin Group Australia
4.0star
2 reviewsreport
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224
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About this ebook
In 1966, at the age of 10, Martin Flanagan was sent to a Catholic boarding school in north-west Tasmania. Of the 12 priests on the staff, three have since gone to prison for sexual crimes committed against boys in their care. In 2018 and 2019, a series of disclosures about the school appeared on the ABC Tasmania website. Then came the Pell case. What followed was a frenzy of opinions, none of which represented Flanagan’s view.
The Empty Honour Board is part memoir, a reflection on truth and memory, and what is lost in rushing to judgement.
Flanagan’s school abounds in memorable characters. There’s a kid who escapes and gets as far as Surfers Paradise, and two boys who hold a competition during evening chapel to see who can confess more times. A wild boy receives a ‘Bradmanesque’ 234 strokes of the cane in one year.
It is a lonely and, at times, scary existence – as while the boys are victims of violence, they are also perpetrators. Drawn to neither the school nor its religion, Flanagan discovers himself through sport, later becoming known as one of Australia’s most creative sportswriters.
But his boarding days linger. In his first three years at the school, he’d faced a series of adult moral challenges. Not being an adult, he had failed – in his own estimation. This becomes of great consequence in his 20s when his wife is about to have their first child. A major reckoning with his past, however, leaves him with his ambition as a writer.
A prison diary, a story of brotherly love, a journey of redemption, Flanagan’s book goes inside an experience many have had, but few have talked about.
The Empty Honour Board is part memoir, a reflection on truth and memory, and what is lost in rushing to judgement.
Flanagan’s school abounds in memorable characters. There’s a kid who escapes and gets as far as Surfers Paradise, and two boys who hold a competition during evening chapel to see who can confess more times. A wild boy receives a ‘Bradmanesque’ 234 strokes of the cane in one year.
It is a lonely and, at times, scary existence – as while the boys are victims of violence, they are also perpetrators. Drawn to neither the school nor its religion, Flanagan discovers himself through sport, later becoming known as one of Australia’s most creative sportswriters.
But his boarding days linger. In his first three years at the school, he’d faced a series of adult moral challenges. Not being an adult, he had failed – in his own estimation. This becomes of great consequence in his 20s when his wife is about to have their first child. A major reckoning with his past, however, leaves him with his ambition as a writer.
A prison diary, a story of brotherly love, a journey of redemption, Flanagan’s book goes inside an experience many have had, but few have talked about.
Ratings and reviews
4.0
2 reviews
JOHN OHALLORAN
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July 18, 2024
Very true recollection of all the events I remember during my boarding years from 1967 to 1972 at Marist College. My lasting memory was one my first day was Roger Belmore saying to my Father and Mother during showing us around the school "You don't need to worry we'll look after your little boy now"
About the author
Martin Flanagan writes for the Age newspaper and is the author of twelve books, among them "The Call", an imaginative re-construction of the life of Tom Wills, a founder of the game, and "The Last Quarter", a trilogy of his football books.
What people have said about Martin Flanagan's football writing:
'Martin Flanagan must never be allowed to stop writing football. I say this because he is the only football writer I have read who is so good I think he could nearly describe a heartbeat - and that, if you want to touch the essence of football, is what you have to do.' Don Watson
'If I'm ever prompted, I have no hesitation in nominating Martin Flanagan as my favourite writer... I only hope I can see the game off the field as well as he does.' Nathan Buckley
'I like Martin's writing, and I know most players do too, because he comes from a different perspective.' James Hird
'The best of Flanagan has a finesse and feeling that no current Australian sports-writer approaches, let alone equals.' Gideon Haigh
'I love his brain.' Kevin Sheedy
What people have said about Martin Flanagan's football writing:
'Martin Flanagan must never be allowed to stop writing football. I say this because he is the only football writer I have read who is so good I think he could nearly describe a heartbeat - and that, if you want to touch the essence of football, is what you have to do.' Don Watson
'If I'm ever prompted, I have no hesitation in nominating Martin Flanagan as my favourite writer... I only hope I can see the game off the field as well as he does.' Nathan Buckley
'I like Martin's writing, and I know most players do too, because he comes from a different perspective.' James Hird
'The best of Flanagan has a finesse and feeling that no current Australian sports-writer approaches, let alone equals.' Gideon Haigh
'I love his brain.' Kevin Sheedy
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