Last week I wrote a post on Cindy Solonec's hybrid biography-memoir, Debesa: The story of Frank and Katie Rodriguez. This book, as I explained in my post, is a rewriting of her 2016 PhD thesis which “explored a social history in the West Kimberley based on the way her parents and extended family lived during … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Thinking about historiography
Monday musings
Monday musings on Australian literature: Some New Releases in 2022
For several years now, my first Monday Musings of the year has focused on "new releases". As before, it is mostly drawn from the Sydney Morning Herald. Their writers do a wonderful job of surveying publishers large and small, but I have found a few more on my own! Also, remember, this is Monday musings on … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Some New Releases in 2022
Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian Women Writers Challenge 2021
For the last time, I am devoting my last Monday Musings of the year to the Australian Women Writers Challenge ( in its current form at least, see below). What a couple of years we've had. It's hard to know whether it has affected the challenge or not but, anecdotally, our numbers did not increase over … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian Women Writers Challenge 2021
Monday musings on Australian literature: Favourite books 2021, Part 2: Nonfiction and Poetry
Last week, as most of you will know, I shared the favourite Aussie fiction books named by writers in the Sydney Morning Herald's Books we loved in 2021 and ABR's Books of the Year 2021. This week, as promised, I'm sharing the nonfiction and poetry favourites. Again, I'm only including Australian titles (as this is … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Favourite books 2021, Part 2: Nonfiction and Poetry
Monday musings on Australian literature: Favourite books 2021, Part 1: Fiction
For a few years now, I've shared favourite Aussie reads of the year, from the ABC and, last year, other sources. This year I'm doing it a bit differently. I'm focusing on the Sydney Morning Herald's Books we loved in 2021 and ABR's Books of the Year 2021. Both these contain favourites from a large … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Favourite books 2021, Part 1: Fiction
Monday musings on Australian literature: Greek-Australian literature
In a Sydney Writers Festival conversation with Michelle de Kretser, Andrew Pippos, winner of the 2021 Readings Prize for his debut novel, Lucky's, said "the fact that we can talk about a Greek-Australian literary tradition is a sign that Australian literature is developing". It made me think about Greek-Australian literature and what I know about … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Greek-Australian literature
Monday musings on Australian literature: Short Australian nonfiction
There's been a little discussion going on during this Novella November month concerning nonfiction novellas. I contend - yes, I'm putting myself out there - that a "novella" is fiction, and that you can no more have a nonfiction novella than, well, fly. However, I am not going to get into this debate now, because, … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Short Australian nonfiction
Monday musings on Australian literature: Supporting genres, 6: Novellas
Yes, I know, novellas aren't really a genre, but when I started this sub-series I couldn't find one word to cover all the types of literary works I thought I might end up covering, so we are all going to have to live with "genres". OK? Many of you will know why I've chosen novellas … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Supporting genres, 6: Novellas
Monday musings on Australian literature: Supporting genres, 5: Crime
When I decided to write this sub-series, the genre that nearly stopped me before I started was crime, because I knew I'd have to do it! CRIME is so-o-o big that it's hard to know where to start ... so, I'm just going to dive in, share a select number of ideas, and let the … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Supporting genres, 5: Crime
Monday musings on Australian literature: Diversity and memoir
Hands up if you've read memoirs by First Nations writers, Immigrant writers, Gay writers, Transgender writers, Writers with a disability, and so on? I sure have, and have reviewed several on this blog - including ones by Archie Roach, Marie Munkara, Ali Cobby Eckermann, Alice Pung, Maxine Beneba Clarke, and Jessica White. Black Inc has … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Diversity and memoir
Whispering Gums 