2021 National NAIDOC logo. Yesterday was the start of Lisa's (ANZLitLovers) 2021 Indigenous Literature Week which coincides of course with NAIDOC Week, and, again, I've decided to contribute this week's Monday Musings to the cause. The topic I've chosen, the reclamation of First Nations languages, was partly inspired by last week's Monday Musings on Eliza Hamilton … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Recovering Australia’s Indigenous languages (2)
Monday musings
Monday musings on Australian literature: Forgotten writers 2, Eliza Hamilton Dunlop
When I started my Monday Musings sub-series on forgotten Australian writers a couple of months ago, I had a few writers in mind, including the first one I did, Helen Simpson. However, a couple of weeks ago, The Conversation published the latest in their Hidden Women of History series, and the subject was an Irish-Australian … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Forgotten writers 2, Eliza Hamilton Dunlop
Monday musings on Australian literature: Refugee literature
I had planned another post for this week, but that can wait, as Lisa (ANZLitLovers) has reminded me that it is Refugee Week, and I thought that should take priority. Lisa has posted on a book relevant to the week, and includes in her post a link to a reading list of books she provided … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Refugee literature
Monday musings on Australian literature: Return of The Age Book of the Year
Early in my retirement, I spent quite a bit of time creating and editing articles on Australian literature in Wikipedia. I focused on a couple of subject areas in particular, Australian women writers and Australian literary awards. One of the awards I worked on was the well-regarded The Age Book of the Year Awards. They … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Return of The Age Book of the Year
Monday musings on Australian literature: Reading and publishing, pandemic-wise
In his 1946 essay, "The prevention of literature", George Orwell named "the unwillingness of the public to spend money on books" as one of the threats to literature. I commented in my post that I didn't know how that stood now in England, but that I thought Australians were currently buying books. The week's Monday … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Reading and publishing, pandemic-wise
Monday musings on Australian literature: Memorable Australian fictional families
A bit of a fun post this week that I hope will engage you, regardless of where you live or what you read. This post is a sort of companion to one I wrote back in 2017 on Memorable Australian characters. I've had this post in mind ever since then, but have kept putting it … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Memorable Australian fictional families
Monday musings on Australian literature: Eco-literature
Over the weekend, I reviewed local Canberra author Irma Gold's debut novel, The breaking, and described it as belonging to the eco-literature "genre". I thought it might be interesting to explore this field a little more. Definitions I'll start with definitions, because, does it really exist? Wikipedia doesn't have an article for eco-literature, but it … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Eco-literature
Monday musings on Australian literature: Nancy Cato
Last year I posted on a book called Trailblazers: 100 inspiring South Australian women. I decided then that it could inspire some Monday Musings posts, because it includes writers among its inspiring women. The first writer to appear in this alphabetically-arranged book is Nancy Cato. She is described as "Writer and activist", which enhances her … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Nancy Cato
Monday musings on Australian literature: Best Young Australian Novelists (3)
I've posted twice on The Sydney Morning Herald's Best Young Australian Novelists, last year, and back in 2013. Bill, in fact, chose that 2013 post in his Bill Curates series on this blog. The award was established in 1997 by the newspaper's then literary editor, Susan Wyndham, making this year its 25th year. An emerging … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Best Young Australian Novelists (3)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Kate Jennings (1948-2021)
Strangely, Australian writer and intellectual, Kate Jennings, has been in the air lately, even though she has lived in New York since 1979. She's been in blogosphere because blogger Kim Forrester reviewed her novella, Moral hazard, just last month, but she's been more broadly visible too because she features in the documentary Brazen hussies which … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Kate Jennings (1948-2021)
