{"id":2409,"date":"2024-04-14T12:37:24","date_gmt":"2024-04-14T02:37:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.phenomenology.com.au\/press\/?page_id=2409"},"modified":"2025-07-10T17:58:32","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T07:58:32","slug":"books-ial","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.phenomenology.com.au\/press\/books\/books-ial\/","title":{"rendered":"In Absentia Lucis"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"2409\" class=\"elementor elementor-2409\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-51f314f1 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"51f314f1\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-24cb251c\" data-id=\"24cb251c\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-871ac18 elementor-widget elementor-widget-woocommerce-breadcrumb\" data-id=\"871ac18\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"woocommerce-breadcrumb.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<nav class=\"woocommerce-breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\">Home<\/nav>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2d0f0a8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2d0f0a8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">In Absentia Lucis (In the Absence of Light)<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-59ac4a2 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"59ac4a2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-20601c5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"20601c5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3><strong>Summary<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><em>In Absentia Lucis<\/em> follows the precursor events and aftermath of Yamini Benoit\u2019s disappearance. Her teenage son Yal and her three brothers lead a search for her which takes them to one of the most remote places on earth. The story traces how each of the four men is affected by her loss, and how all of them are affected by what they find.<br><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-8bd99b6 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"8bd99b6\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-12031aa\" data-id=\"12031aa\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5240799 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"5240799\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"724\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.phenomenology.com.au\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/In-Absentia-Lucis.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-2440\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.phenomenology.com.au\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/In-Absentia-Lucis.jpg 724w, https:\/\/www.phenomenology.com.au\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/In-Absentia-Lucis-212x300.jpg 212w, https:\/\/www.phenomenology.com.au\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/In-Absentia-Lucis-300x424.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.phenomenology.com.au\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/In-Absentia-Lucis-600x849.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 724px) 100vw, 724px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-35821c3 elementor-mobile-align-center elementor-tablet-align-center elementor-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"35821c3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"#\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Preorders not yet available<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-f016396\" data-id=\"f016396\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f08c5c2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f08c5c2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The story begins with a young woman arriving in the remote town of Tibooburra, several months after breaking up with the love of her life. Over the course of decades she builds a life for herself and her son, working as an artist and becoming part of the town&#8217;s artistic community.<\/p><p>As the time approaches when her son will leave home to attend university in Melbourne, the woman, now middle-aged, begins to feel a pull towards a specific place, a place she&#8217;s never been, a place most people would never try to reach. A voice in her head tells her more about the special nature of this place, and so she sets off to find it in the bosom of nothingness. But she never returns home.<\/p><p>By the time her son and her three brothers begin to search for her, the trail is cold. The only places they might find any clues are her diary, and her artworks. But her diary is missing, and her artworks are notoriously cryptic.<\/p><p>Much of the narrative is set in Central Australia &#8211; a lonely, dangerous, almost alien place, but also a place of great beauty, with a clear undistorted connection to the rhythms and voices of the universe.\u00a0<\/p><p><em>In Absentia Lucis<\/em> is a mystery, a road trip, an exploration of what it means to be a family, and a meditation on the intersection of knowledge, time and spirituality.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9f552fa elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"9f552fa\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ed8181c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ed8181c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3><strong>Origin Story<\/strong><\/h3><p>The idea to write <em>In Absentia Lucis<\/em> occurred when I was about halfway through writing <em>In Living Memory<\/em>. Yamini Benoit had emerged as a liminal figure in the narrative, and her character&#8217;s trajectory didn\u2019t fit with <em>In Living Memory<\/em>, but it had implications for <em>In Medio Dierum<\/em> and the as yet unnamed fifth book too. I thought it was worth exploring to add depth to the character and to round out her story after she all but disappears during the narrative of <em>In Medio Dierum<\/em>.<\/p><p>Once I&#8217;d started taking notes and developing how the story might proceed, it became obvious that Yamini&#8217;s role in the pentalogy was even more important than I&#8217;d imagined previously. Her character connects several other characters, and those connections in turn conjoin several books, transforming the five fictional worlds from five books into a much broader and deeper pentalogical universe. But she also serves as a spiritual exemplar &#8211; someone who made the choice to walk away from her conventional reality and follow a path to spiritual enlightenment. There&#8217;s also a sense that Yamini&#8217;s spiritual path cost her dearly. She abandoned her family, her lover, her friends, her home, and so part of the reason for writing this book was to find out if, for her, her sacrifices were worth what they cost her .<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a6a30c5 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"a6a30c5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e44ee63 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"e44ee63\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Progress Update<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6058fc8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6058fc8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Work on this book began in late 2024, with a tentative release schedule of mid-2028.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bdb2b0f elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"bdb2b0f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3c45e04 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3c45e04\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Book Club Pack<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-41f223a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"41f223a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Providing this book meets its tentative release schedule of mid-2028, a Book Club Pack should be available for order by late 2028.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-454e598 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"454e598\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7d2cd48 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7d2cd48\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Published Reviews<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-06044f8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"06044f8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>There are as yet no published reviews.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8d835c8 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"8d835c8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4373a6c elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"4373a6c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Some Reader Feedback<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c6c7bb9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c6c7bb9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Providing this book meets its tentative release schedule of late 2027, reader feedback will be published in the first few months of 2028.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In Absentia Lucis (In the Absence of Light) Summary In Absentia Lucis follows the precursor events and aftermath of Yamini Benoit\u2019s disappearance. Her teenage son Yal and her three brothers [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":2440,"parent":2429,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"page-builder","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"enabled","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2409","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"blog_post_layout_featured_media_urls":{"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.phenomenology.com.au\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/In-Absentia-Lucis-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"full":["https:\/\/www.phenomenology.com.au\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/In-Absentia-Lucis.jpg",724,1024,false]},"categories_names":null,"comments_number":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.phenomenology.com.au\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2409","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.phenomenology.com.au\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.phenomenology.com.au\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.phenomenology.com.au\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.phenomenology.com.au\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2409"}],"version-history":[{"count":74,"href":"https:\/\/www.phenomenology.com.au\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2409\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3834,"href":"https:\/\/www.phenomenology.com.au\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2409\/revisions\/3834"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.phenomenology.com.au\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2429"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.phenomenology.com.au\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2440"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.phenomenology.com.au\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2409"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}