In my recent post on Sara Dowse's West Block, I ran out of time to share some quotes and thoughts on her depiction of Canberra and the heritage building, West Block. Soon after, I wrote a Delicious Descriptions on West Block, promising another one on Canberra - because, well, I can, and Canberra is my city. … Continue reading Delicious descriptions: Sara Dowse on Canberra
Author: Whispering Gums
Marie Younan with Jill Sanguinetti, A different kind of seeing: My journey (#BookReview)
In many ways, Marie Younan's A different kind of seeing: My journey is a standard memoir about a person overcoming the limitations of her disability which, in this case, is blindness. It's told first person, chronologically, from her grandparents' lives through her birth in Syria to the present when she is in her late 60s … Continue reading Marie Younan with Jill Sanguinetti, A different kind of seeing: My journey (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Islands in Australian literature
"No man is an island" wrote John Donne, recognising, to put it very simply, that we are better together than alone. Right now, Australians are experiencing "island-ship" in multiple ways, because not only are we an island geographically, but also practically, given travel in and out is extremely limited. Moreover, many of us on the … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Islands in Australian literature
Six degrees of separation, FROM Second place TO …
Little did I know when I wrote my last Six Degrees, that I would have just completed three weeks of lockdown when writing my September edition, but that's, indeed, where I am. I am aware that among most eastern state Australians, the ACT has been relatively lucky. However, we have been feeling for some time … Continue reading Six degrees of separation, FROM Second place TO …
Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain (#BookReview)
How to write about a book that has made such a big splash that it has already been extensively reviewed. What more can one say? This is what I'm facing with Douglas Stuart's debut and Booker Prize-winning novel, Shuggie Bain. I haven't, in fact, read much about it, because I prefer to come to books … Continue reading Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain (#BookReview)
Poetry Month 2021: Your favourite poems
Earlier this month, I wrote a Monday Musings on Poetry Month, at the end of which I asked readers to name their favourite poem. Poetry Month finished yesterday, 31 August, so I thought I'd close out the month by listing the nominated poems, alphabetically by poet. I should add that some commenters cheekily named more … Continue reading Poetry Month 2021: Your favourite poems
Monday musings on Australian literature: 2021 Mark and Evette Moran Nib Literary Award longlist
I only occasionally use my Monday Musings post to make awards announcements. Today is one of those occasions, because the Nib Literary Awards longlist was announced today and I did want to share it, as it's one of Australia's quieter but yet interesting awards. I have written about it before and in that post you … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: 2021 Mark and Evette Moran Nib Literary Award longlist
F*ck Covid: An Online Literary Affair (2)
This is the second of my two posts on the F*CK COVID online-only event. My first post introduced it and covered the fiction session. This post will report on the non-fiction session. I'll start by noting that while the first session involved established authors, this one, I think it's fair to say, involved emerging writers, who … Continue reading F*ck Covid: An Online Literary Affair (2)
F*ck Covid: An Online Literary Affair (1)
An initiative of the ACT Writers Centre and its Creative Producer Nigel Featherstone, F*CK COVID, was an online-only event. It comprised two panel discussions, featuring "four of Australia’s most exciting literary voices", one focused on fiction, and the other non-fiction. I will report on these in separate posts. Both sessions included the authors reading from their books … Continue reading F*ck Covid: An Online Literary Affair (1)
Price Warung, Selected tales of Price Warung (#BookReview)
Price Warung, as I wrote in my previous post on him, is the pseudonym used by English-born Australian writer, William Astley, who came to Australia with his parents in 1859 when he was still a child. Astley became a radical journalist and short-story writer, with particular interests in transportation/convict literature, and the Labour and Federation … Continue reading Price Warung, Selected tales of Price Warung (#BookReview)
