I promised in my post on Claire Keegan's novella Small things like these, that a review of Antarctica would be coming soon, and I like to keep my promises, so here it is. First, though, I must say I'm thrilled to have had this unexpected opportunity to spend time with Keegan whose So late in … Continue reading Claire Keegan, Antarctica (#BookReview)
Author: Whispering Gums
Miles Franklin Award 2026 shortlist
2025 was one of my best years for some time in terms of the Miles Franklin shortlist. When it was announced, I had only read one of the six novels, Michelle de Kretser's Theory & practice (my review). However, by the end of the year I'd read three, having read two more with my reading … Continue reading Miles Franklin Award 2026 shortlist
Monday musings on Australian literature: Quarry noir
I started my post on Tech noir with the comment that the genres and sub-genres just keep on coming, and I have another one that I've been saving up for you - quarry noir. I read about it some months ago - in The Conversation - and have been saving it up. Its time has … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Quarry noir
Monday musings on Australian literature: Sports romance
Last February, I wrote about Romance novels in my "supporting genres" Monday Musings subseries. Today's post could be seen as an extension of that post, in that it is about a Romance subgenre, Sports Romance. I have to admit that I had never heard of this sub-genre until a couple of days ago when a … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Sports romance
Claire Keegan, Small things like these (#BookReview)
Very occasionally my reading group makes a book-scheduling boo-boo, and it happened this year when we chose Irish writer Claire KeeganāsĀ So late in the day: Stories of women and men for our May read. This book, which comprises three of Keeganās short stories, āSo late in the dayā, āThe long and and painful deathā, and … Continue reading Claire Keegan, Small things like these (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Forgotten writers 18, Bene Gibson Smyth
Bene Gibson Smyth is a little different from the writers I have researched for AWW over the last couple of years. This is partly because she was better known as a songwriter and composer than as a writer of stories or poetry, and what she did write was mostly for children. She is little known … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Forgotten writers 18, Bene Gibson Smyth
Six degrees of separation, FROM The Post Office girl TO …
Winter has started down under, and don't we know it. Well, not the way many of you know winter, of course, but it's been cold and grey where I am over the last few days, and I don't like it. The only positive thing I can say is that the sooner it starts the sooner … Continue reading Six degrees of separation, FROM The Post Office girl TO …
Monday musings on Australian literature: Eve Langley, AI and me
Putting aside the complex environmental questions surrounding AI and its data centres for the moment, I want to talk about using AI. I know itās easy to naysay new technologies. Iāve been guilty of it myself, such as when smartphones first appeared on the scene. And, based on last night's experience, I could say I … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Eve Langley, AI and me
Becky Manawatu, AuÄ (#BookReview)
2019 First ed. Becky Manawatu's debut novel AuÄ won two Ockham New Zealand Book Awards and Best Crime Novel at the Ngaio Marsh Awards. She is of MÄori and PÄkehÄ* background, as are Keri Hulme and Alan Duff with whose novels, The bone people and Once were warriors, AuÄ has been compared. These books address the intergenerational … Continue reading Becky Manawatu, AuÄ (#BookReview)
Shaun Micallef in conversation with Adam Shirley
We got to this week's Meet the Author evening early, and found the author, Shaun Micallef, signing books, so I bought a copy and got in line. When it came to my turn, I told him that only he could get me to read a book about vampires, to which he answered, teasingly but also … Continue reading Shaun Micallef in conversation with Adam Shirley
Whispering Gums 