Today's Monday Musings is the fifth in my little series on Australia's writers centres, and it's New South Wales' turn. Originally called the NSW Writers Centre, it was renamed this year as Writing NSW. Writing NSW was founded (under its original name) in 1991, as a not-for-profit organisation providing services to writers. On its Our … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Writing NSW
Author: Whispering Gums
Vance Palmer, Battle (#Review)
Vance Palmer's short piece "Battle" is the first piece in this special Meanjin anthology. Meanjin is one of Australia's longest lasting literary journals. It was founded by Clem Christesen in 1940. As publisher Melbourne University Press says, it has, since then, "documented both the changing concerns of Australians and the achievements of many of the … Continue reading Vance Palmer, Battle (#Review)
Delicious descriptions: Laurie Steed’s divorced mum
I don't do many Delicious Descriptions these days, but I did want to share another quote from Laurie Steed's You belong here which I reviewed recently. The book concerns a marriage break-up and its impact on the family. This quote comes from the point-of-view of the daughter, Emily, who's around 19 at the time, thinking … Continue reading Delicious descriptions: Laurie Steed’s divorced mum
Monday musings on Australian literature: The Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund
Australia's Copyright Agency has been referenced here several times in this blog, mostly regarding the work it does via its Cultural Fund, but I wonder how many of us (besides artists) know just how much it does to support Australian writing and writers? The Copyright Agency is a non-profit organisation (company) which describes its mission … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: The Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund
Laurie Steed, You belong here (#BookReview)
My first reaction as I started reading Laurie Steed's debut novel, You belong here, was, "oh dear, another novel about a dysfunctional family", but I was quickly disabused of that prejudice because while that is indeed the book's "genre", Steed writes it in such a fresh and engaging way, albeit seriously so, that I was … Continue reading Laurie Steed, You belong here (#BookReview)
Raphaël Jerusalmy, Evacuation (#BookReview)
Raphaël Jerusalmy, for those who, like me, hadn't heard of him, is a French-born and educated writer living in Tel Aviv. He had a career in the Israeli military intelligence services, worked in humanitarian and educational fields, and is now an antiquarian book dealer in Tel Aviv, where his novella, Evacuation, is set. In some … Continue reading Raphaël Jerusalmy, Evacuation (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: National Child Protection Week 2018
If you are an Australian, you will be aware of our recent Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. That Commission only looked into one aspect of child sexual abuse in Australia. Arguably the bigger issue lies in the sexual abuse of children outside institutions - abuse of children by family members, by … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: National Child Protection Week 2018
Six degrees of separation, FROM Where am I now TO …
Woo hoo, Spring has sprung (just) in the southern hemisphere, and I for one am glad to see the back of winter, albeit the real warmth is a way off yet. And this month, the first day of Spring is also Six Degrees of Separation day. You regular readers here will know what that means, but … Continue reading Six degrees of separation, FROM Where am I now TO …
WG Sebald, Austerlitz (#BookReview)
For the first time in my reading group's 30-year history, we read a book recommended by a fictional character. It happened like this: after reading and discussing Rabih Alameddine's An unnecessary woman (my review) in January, we thought it would be interesting if we all nominated which book mentioned by the "unnecessary woman", Aaliya Saleh, that we'd … Continue reading WG Sebald, Austerlitz (#BookReview)
Canberra Writers Festival 2018, Day 2, Pt 2: Words (Last ones) and Music
My last Canberra Writers Festival event was, in a way, a little left field, because it primarily comprised a musical performance - but one with a strong literary element ... Turning Last Words into Music I chose this one, for a couple of reasons, but mainly because it involved music and was at a time … Continue reading Canberra Writers Festival 2018, Day 2, Pt 2: Words (Last ones) and Music
Whispering Gums 