Australian Novellas

Australian Novellas:

What is a Novella? A word count of 17,500 to 39,999 is considered to be the norm, but I’ve also sited a 10,000 to 50,000 word limit range. Whichever word count you finally settle on though, makes no difference to the average reader in the end, as most books do not come with that kind of detail included.

Cathy and Rebecca have hit upon the 150 page mark with an upper limit of 200 pages. But, of course, it then depends on which edition of the book you are reading. As you can see, it’s very easy to become pedantic at the expense of making a list, that might actually be useful.

I also discovered that a novella usually (but not always) contains one central conflict, often from one point of view. Backstory is brief or non-existent, and most will have one location within a continuous time frame. A novella can usually be read in one sitting.

The 150 page limit will be my benchmark, but anything that falls between the 150-200 page limit will be considered, using the other factors above as a guide.

What is an an Australian novella? My definition includes writers born in Australia and writers who choose to live in Australia at some other point in their life. It could also include novellas written by international writers that are predominantly set in Australia.

Links to my review will be attached to the main title. Other bloggers and their reviews will follow in brackets.

• Debra Adelaide – Zebra (review by Lisa @ANZ LitLovers)
• Stephen Amsterdam – Things We Didn’t See Coming (review by Lisa @ANZ LitLovers)
• Thea Astley – A Kindness Cup (review by Bill @The Australian Legend & Lisa @ANZ LitLovers)
  • Beachmasters (review by Lisa @ANZ LitLovers)
  • Girl With a Monkey (review by Lisa @ANZ LitLovers)
• Jessica Au – Cold Enough For Snow
• Carly Cappielli – Listurbia
• Christy Collins – The End of Seeing (review by Lisa @ANZ LitLovers)
• Lauren Aimee Curtis – Dolores (review by NancyElin & Lisa @ANZ LitLovers)
• Michelle de Kretser – Springtime: A Ghost Story (review by Cathy @746 Books)
• Ceridwen Dovey – Blood Kin (review by Lisa @ANZ LitLovers)
• Nick Earls – Wisdom Tree series
  • Gotham (review by Lisa @ANZ LitLovers)
  • Venice (review by Lisa @ANZ LitLovers)
  • Vancouver
  • Juneau
  • Noho (review by Sue @Whispering Gums)
• Delia Falconer – The Lost Thoughts of Soldiers
• Beverley Farmer – Alone
  • The Seal Woman
  • The House in the Light
  • This Water : Five Tales (review by Lisa @ANZ LitLovers)
• Nigel Featherstone – Fall On Me (review by NancyElin & Sue @Whispering Gums)
  • The Beach Volcano (review by Sue @Whispering Gums)
  • I’m Ready Now (review by Sue @Whispering Gums)
• Helen Garner – The Children’s Bach (review by Sue @Whispering Gums)
  • The Spare Room (review by Cathy @746Books & Bill @The Australian Legend)
• Angus Gaunt – Black Rabbit (review by Lisa @ANZ LitLovers)
• Bill Green – Small Town Rising (review @ANZ LitLovers)
• Lana Guineay – Dark Wave (review by Lisa @ANZ Lit Lover)
• Stephanie Gunn – Icefall (review by NancyElin)
• George Haddad – Populate and Perish
• Marion Halligan – Spidercup
• Barbara Hanrahan – Scent of Eucalyptus
• Shirley Hazzard – The Evening of the Holiday
• Anna Jackson – The Bed-making Competition (review by Lisa @ANZ LitLovers)
• Kate Jennings – Moral Hazard (Sue @Whispering Gums & Cathy @746 Books)
  • Snake (review by Sue @Whispering Gums)
• Elizabeth Jolley – Miss Peabody’s Inheritance (review by Lisa @ANZ LitLovers)
  • The Newspaper of Claremont Street (review by Lisa @ANZ Litlovers & Bill @The Australian Legend & Kim @Reading Matters)
  • The Orchard Thieves (review by Sue @Whispering Gums)
• Cate Kennedy – Love & Desire: Four Modern Australian Novellas
• Joyce Kornblatt – Mother Tongue (review by Lisa @ANZ LItLovers)
• Michelle de Kretser – Springtime: A Ghost Story (review by Lisa @ANZ LitLovers)
• Carol Lefevre – Murmurations (review by Sue @Whispering Gums)
• Mary-Rose MacColl – The Water of Life
• Colleen McCullough – The Ladies of Missalonghi (& review by Marianne @Let’s Read)
• Anna MacDonald – A Jealous Tide (review by Lisa @ANZLit Lovers)
• Wayne Macauley – Simpson Returns (review by NancyElin & Lisa @ANZ LitLovers )
• Louise Mack – The World is Round (review by Sue @Whispering Gums)
• David Malouf – An Imaginary Life (review by Lisa @ANZ LitLovers)
  • Fly Away Peter (review by Marianne @Let’s Read)
• Claire Messud | A Dream Life (my review)
• Adrian Mitchell – The Beachcomber’s Wife (review by Lisa @ANZ LitLovers)
• Drusilla Modjeska – Ripe To Tell
• Joseph Mostafa – Offshore
• Rose Mulready – The Bonobo’s Dream (review by Lisa @ANZ LiteLovers)
• Stephen Orr – Datsunland (review by Lisa @ANZ LitLovers & Emma @Book Around the Corner & Sue @Whispering Gums)
• Vance Palmer – Cyclone ( review by Lisa @ANZ LitLovers)
• Catherine de Saint Phalle – The Sea and Us (review by Lisa @ANZ LitLovers)
• Hoa Pham – The Other Shore (review by Lisa @ANZ LitLovers)
  • The Lady of the Realm (review by Lisa @ANZ LitLovers & Sue @Whispering Gums)
• Doris Pilkington – Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence
• Julie Proudfoot – The Neighbour (review by Sue @Whispering Gums)
• Jane Rawson – Formaldehyde
• Jane Jervis Read – Midnight Blue and Endlessly Tall
• Mirandi Riwoe – The Fish Girl (review by Sue @Whispering Gums)
• Tansy Rayner Roberts – Girl Reporter (review by NancyElin)
  • Tea and Sympathetic Magic (review by N@ncyElin)
• Wendy Scarfe – The Day They Shot Edward (review by Lisa @ANZ LitLovers & Sue @Whispering Gums)
• Stephen Scourfield – Unaccountable Hours: Three Novellas (review by Lisa @ANZ LitLovers)
• Nicole Smith – Sideshow
• Leah Swann – Bearings (review by Sue @Whispering Gums)
• Elizabeth von Armin – Elizabeth and Her German Garden
• Bryan Walpert – Late Sonata (review by Lisa @ANZ LitLovers)
• Marlee Jane Ward – Welcome to Orphancorp
• Patrick White – The Cockatoos (review by Bill @Australian Legend)
• Daniel Davis Wood – Blood and Bone
• Stephen Wright – A Second Life (review by Lisa @ANZ LitLovers)

The Griffith Review Novella Project is now up to its 7th edition. Some of the novellas can be read online through the links provided. You can only read a few for free per month, though, so click wisely.

If you know of any more Australian Novellas, please let me know.