It's been a good week for literature in the ACT. Not only was the UC Book Project announced but on Thursday, our centenary anthology The invisible thread was launched. The launch was a well-organised event: it found the perfect balance between formality and informality, and didn't run too long! The book was launched by writer … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: ACT Writers Showcase
Author: Whispering Gums
Impressive reading initiative from the University of Canberra
How proud am I? Not that I had anything to do with it, but the University of Canberra, in my city, has launched an inspiring initiative which it calls the UC Book Project. This is a project whereby every student (yes every student) who commences a course (yes any course) at the University of Canberra … Continue reading Impressive reading initiative from the University of Canberra
Poor novellas?
Having just reviewed two novellas in succession - Nigel Featherstone's I'm ready now and Gerald Murnane's The plains - I was intrigued to receive an email this week from AbeBooks titled "The best novellas: Literature's middle child". It linked to an article which starts: Poor novellas. They are the middle-child, the Jan Brady of the … Continue reading Poor novellas?
Gerald Murnane, The plains (Review)
Wayne Macauley, he of the Most Underrated Book Award fame, wrote in his introduction to my edition of Gerald Murnane's The plains that "you might not know where Murnane is taking you but you can't help being taken". That's a perfect description of my experience of reading this now classic novella. It was like confronting … Continue reading Gerald Murnane, The plains (Review)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Writing across the fiction-nonfiction divide
Last week, a conference called the NonfictioNow Confence 2012 was held in Melbourne. It went for four days! It sounds right up my alley but I didn't get to it. Fortunately the site says that panel discussions will be online in 2013. Anyhow, it got me thinking about writers who write both fiction and non-fiction … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Writing across the fiction-nonfiction divide
Nigel Featherstone, I’m ready now (Review)
Way back in my youth when I started studying literature, I thought I had to get the "right" interpretation. It made reading a little scary, I must say. However, as I gained confidence, I discovered that there are as many responses to a novel as there are readers, something I was reminded of when I … Continue reading Nigel Featherstone, I’m ready now (Review)
MUBA and Patrick White awards for 2012 announced
I don't make a practice of reporting on awards - many of the big ones get pretty good media coverage anyhow - but every now and then something catches my fancy ... and so here I am today ... Most Underrated Book Award Apologies to those of you waiting on the edge of your seats … Continue reading MUBA and Patrick White awards for 2012 announced
Monday musings on Australian literature: Literary Awards for Short Stories
Since we've been currently talking about short stories - or, at least, I have been doing so here in my little corner of the litblog world - I though it might be a good time to list some of the literary awards dedicated to short stories in Australia. It's a bit of a lazy post … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Literary Awards for Short Stories
Barbara Baynton, The chosen vessel (Review)
I'm blaming author and blogger Karen Lee Thompson again for this post, because she wrote a wonderful comment on my post on Barbara Baynton's short story "Squeaker's mate", and I'm going to quote it pretty much in full (I hope that's ok from a copyright point of view - tell me if it isn't Karen … Continue reading Barbara Baynton, The chosen vessel (Review)
Barbara Baynton, Squeaker’s mate (Review)
My last post was about this year's Meanjin Tournament of Books which is pitting short stories against each other. One of the short stories is Barbara Baynton's "Squeaker's mate", which I've read before but a long time ago. I decided, though, to read it again, since I have easy access to a copy, on my … Continue reading Barbara Baynton, Squeaker’s mate (Review)
