Last year I wrote about the University of Canberra's Book of the Year initiative in which they required each new student to read and be prepared to discuss the chosen book for the year. The book was provided gratis to all beginning students, and teaching staff was expected to incorporate the book somewhere in their … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature : University of Canberra Book of the Year, 2014
Author: Whispering Gums
Delicious descriptions: Jessica Anderson and urban life
I didn't quote much from Jessica Anderson's One of the wattle birds in my recent review, which is unusual for me - so I decided a Delicious Descriptions post was in order. I had trouble however choosing which excerpt to quote. My first thought was to share an example of the book's wonderful - and often very funny - dialogue, … Continue reading Delicious descriptions: Jessica Anderson and urban life
Miles Franklin Award 2014 Longlist
Earlier today Miles Franklin Literary Award's Trust Company announced the longlist for this year's award. As usual, it includes the full gamut - expected titles, along some surprise inclusions and omissions. One of the interesting exclusions would have to be, I think, Christos Tsiolkas' Barracuda (my review). It certainly deals with "Australian life in any of its … Continue reading Miles Franklin Award 2014 Longlist
Jessica Anderson, One of the wattle birds (Review)
I have finally read Jessica Anderson's final novel, One of the wattle birds, which has been sitting in my beside cabinet since my parents gave it to me in 1998! Never let it be said that I don't read books given to me - though, on reflection, I'd prefer you didn't hold me to that! … Continue reading Jessica Anderson, One of the wattle birds (Review)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Unpublished manuscript awards
I've recently reviewed a couple of books which have won unpublished manuscript awards: Hannah Kent won the inaugural Writing Australia Unpublished Manuscript Award in 2011 for Burial rites (my review), and Margaret Merrilees won the Unpublished Manuscript Award at the Adelaide Writer's Week in 2012 for The first week (my review). Now, I've discussed awards a few … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Unpublished manuscript awards
Barbara Baynton, Billy Skywonkie (Review)
Well, I must say that "Billy Skywonkie", my fifth* story from Barbara Baynton's Bush studies, fair near defeated me, so I was rather relieved to read in Susan Sheridan's introduction that "in this story and others, Baynton's use of dialect to represent the speech of these uneducated bush folk can also act as a barrier … Continue reading Barbara Baynton, Billy Skywonkie (Review)
Hannah Kent, Burial rites (Review)
"We'll remember you" says Margrét to Agnes on the day of her execution. We sure will, if Hannah Kent's debut novel Burial rites has anything to say about it. Kent's book is the second novel set in Iceland I've read, the first being Icelandic writer Halldor Laxness's unforgettable Independent people. Although Laxness's novel is set a century after Burial rites, … Continue reading Hannah Kent, Burial rites (Review)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Pascall Prize
The Pascall Prize is one of those under-the-radar sorts of awards, that is, one that tends not to get much general press. However, that doesn't mean it's not significant. In fact, I've had it in my list of topics for a couple of years but, having mentioned in my David Malouf birthday post last week … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Pascall Prize
William Wells Brown, Madison Washington (Review)
Having recently reviewed Harriet Ann Jacobs' story "The lover" in the Library of America's (LOA) Story of the Week program - and also having seen the movie 12 Years a Slave - I couldn't ignore William Wells Brown's story, Madison Washington, when it appeared last month as an LOA offering. Brown (1814-1884), like Jacobs, was born into slavery. He managed to … Continue reading William Wells Brown, Madison Washington (Review)
David Malouf turns 80
I'm not in the habit of celebrating authors' special birthdays, but David Malouf is a very special Aussie author - and he turns 80 today. Some have suggested over the years that he would be a worthy Nobel Laureate - and I'd agree. He is quite the Renaissance man in the breadth of his interests … Continue reading David Malouf turns 80
Whispering Gums 