 His novels frequently focussed on criminal outsiders such as "The Push" (a Sydney larrikin element analogous to the "bodgies" of the 1950s, "rockers" of the 1960s and "bikies" of today), and bushrangers such as Captain Thunderbolt and Ben Hall.Among his 30-odd novels are

Non-fiction publications include

Pratt ended his life an opponent of the White Australia Policy and attempted to ameliorate the kind of xenophobia prevalent at the time (and finding support in the pages to The Bulletin) with his writings, exemplified by his 1941 play "A Point in Time".His book "The Real South Africa" similarly had what would now be regarded as a remarkably enlightened view of the position of Black South Africans.