And now my final event from the Sydney Writers Festival live-streamed (#SWFLiveAndLocal).program at th National Library of Australia. "I do not want to see this in print", Sunday 5 May, 4.30pm Panel: Annabel Crabb (convenor), with Samantha Maiden, Sharri Markson, Niki Savva Australian journalist Annabel Crabb, as cheeky as ever, introduced the session as being one … Continue reading Sydney Writers Festival 2019, Live and Local (Session 3)
Author: Whispering Gums
Sydney Writers Festival 2019, Live and Local (Session 2)
I returned to the National Library of Australia today for two more live-streamed events from the Sydney Writers Festival (#SWFLiveAndLocal). As I did last year, I'll write each event up in separate posts, so here is the first of my Sunday events. Andrew Sean Greer: Less (Conversation), Sunday 5 May, 3.00pm Conversation: Andrew Sean Greer with … Continue reading Sydney Writers Festival 2019, Live and Local (Session 2)
Sydney Writers Festival 2019, Live and Local (Session 1)
As in 2018, selected Sydney Writers Festival events were live-streamed this year to 35 sites, including Canberra's National Library of Australia (#SWFLiveAndLocal). I had planned to attend most of Saturday's events, but then our annual day-trip to our friends' place in the country came up, and that's unmissable, so I only attended the last event … Continue reading Sydney Writers Festival 2019, Live and Local (Session 1)
Six degrees of separation, FROM The dry TO …
Well, my record for 2019's Six Degrees of Separation meme continues, that is, I still haven't read a starting book! By comparison, last year I'd read three of the first five (which may have been a record in the opposite direction!) However, I have always read the books in my chain. And now before I share … Continue reading Six degrees of separation, FROM The dry TO …
Ten Year Blogiversary for Whispering Gums, with a Giveaway
Today, my blog turns 10! I can hardly believe it. I really didn't expect to be still writing it ten years on when I started way back there in May 2009, but it can become addictive, as many of you know yourselves! I must say that I started shyly. I was nervous about sharing my … Continue reading Ten Year Blogiversary for Whispering Gums, with a Giveaway
NSW Premier’s Literary Awards 2019 Winners; and Vale Les Murray AO (1939-2019)
I decided to replace today's Monday Musings with an awards announcement, because the NSW Premier's Literary Awards were being announced tonight, and they comprise a swag of prizes, many being of particular interest to me. But, then I was shocked to hear that Australian poet Les Murray had died, and I couldn't let that pass … Continue reading NSW Premier’s Literary Awards 2019 Winners; and Vale Les Murray AO (1939-2019)
Favourite quotes: from the artist Hans Heysen
I started this little Favourite Quotes series some time ago, with a specific purpose in mind, but it fell by the way-side in the busy-ness of life. However, I regularly come across statements that I'd love to document somewhere useful so that I don't lose them - and so I am resurrecting this series with … Continue reading Favourite quotes: from the artist Hans Heysen
Vicki Laveau-Harvie, The erratics (#BookReview)
Truth is that, while I like to read at least some of the Stella Prize shortlist, I didn't have Vicki Laveau-Harvie's memoir, The erratics, on my high priority list, though the more I heard about it, the more intrigued I became. However, it was winning the prize that tipped it over into my must-read category. What … Continue reading Vicki Laveau-Harvie, The erratics (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Narratives from outside Australia?
In my post on this year's Stella longest announcement, I quoted this from the judges' comments: We wished for more representations of otherness and diversity from publishers: narratives from outside Australia ... They followed this with other wishes like stories by and about "women of colour, LGBTQIA stories, Indigenous stories". These are obvious desires, but … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Narratives from outside Australia?
José Jorge Letria, If I were a book (#BookReview)
If I were a book is one of those "gift" books you give to readers - and it was in that spirit that it was given to me for my birthday a couple of years ago. It's a delight of a book, and is somewhat quirkier than these sorts of book-lovers' gift books often are, which … Continue reading José Jorge Letria, If I were a book (#BookReview)
Whispering Gums 