Thanks to the 2015 Stella Prize, I picked up Ellen Van Neervan's book, Heat and Light to discover the most extraordinary and eclectic collection of stories. I still think about them five years later. So I was thrilled when she published a book of poetry entitled Throat last year. It did not have an easy … Continue reading Throat | Ellen Van Neerven #Poetry
Last year, my friend at the Writer's Centre NSW, now called Writing NSW, was planning on hosting an Honouring event for Katharine Susannah Prichard. It's an annual event, of which I have managed to attend about half so far. I had just popped my name on the expressions of interest list early last year, when … Continue reading The Wild Oats Of Han | Katharine Susannah Prichard #AWW
As they say in show business, that's a wrap folks!AusReading Month is tucked away for another year. In a strange year of uncertainly, Covid-19 and change, it has been wonderful to pause a while to read, blog and celebrate Australian literature.Thank you to everyone who contributed with reviews, comments and social media activity. Congratulations to the … Continue reading AusReading Month – Wrap Up Post
I had planned on squeezing in one more post for AusReading Month, but our Sunday in Sydney was the first super hot summer's day of the season, with temperatures going 40℃ + around NSW. After grabbing a quick early morning walk before the heat ramped up, I stayed inside with the air con, lazing around, … Continue reading AusReading Month 2020 Bingo
2019 was the International Year of Indigenous Languages:It is through language that we communicate with the world, define our identity, express our history and culture, learn, defend our human rights and participate in all aspects of society, to name but a few.Through language, people preserve their community’s history, customs and traditions, memory, unique modes of … Continue reading Kindred | Kirli Saunders #Poetry
Oh, the existential angst!Remember when you were 22 and you had no idea what you wanted to do or how you fitted into the big, wide world and it all seemed overwhelming, sometimes exciting, but mostly this big, huge, void of trying to be an adult, that you had no idea how to fill. This … Continue reading Loner | Georgina Young #AWW
It would be very easy to read this lovely novella about a woman called Elizabeth and her love of gardens, as an autobiography in disguise. At least, it was very easy for me to be led down this particular garden path for quite some time. At every turn, Elizabeth and Her German Garden felt biographical. … Continue reading Elizabeth and Her German Garden | Elizabeth Von Armin #NovinNov
I find reading Helen Garner a curious affair. There's a real push me/pull me effect, that intrigues me and wow's me, then repels me all in the same sentence. I'm intrigued and wowed by her writing, the turn of phrase that captures a moment brilliantly. There's a candour and earthiness that seems grounded in her … Continue reading The Spare Room | Helen Garner #AWW
One gets to a time and place when one HAS to be done thinking about a book and what review to write for it. I have reached this point with Our Shadows by Gail Jones. I have done everything I can to put together some coherent, clever thoughts, from attending two zoom author talks with Avid … Continue reading Our Shadows | Gail Jones #AUSfiction
Gabrielle Carey, with this book about Elizabeth von Armin, had the honour of being the very first author event by zoom, that I participated in during this Covid year. Also in attendance was Lisa from ANZLitLovers, who had alerted me to the event in the first place. It was lovely to be able to … Continue reading Only Happiness Here | Gabrielle Carey #AWW
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started Stone Sky Gold Mountain by Mirandi Riwoe. A gold rush story set on the Palmer River in Queensland (an area I did not realise even had a gold rush!) through the eyes of Chinese settlers, sounded intriguing. However, I struggle with blokey books about blokey men … Continue reading Stone Sky Gold Mountain | Mirandi Riwoe #AWW
AusReadingMonth has three ways to share your love of Australian literature - celebration, anticipation and promotion. You can combine all three in one post or spread them out over three separate posts. This week I'm in PROMOTION mode.This is your chance to shout-out your favourite book event, bookshop, or blogger that features Australian books. You can … Continue reading AusReading Month – Promotion
