Monday musings

Monday musings on Australian literature: Forgotten writers 18, Bene Gibson Smyth

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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

Monday musings on Australian literature: Eve Langley, AI and me

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Putting aside the complex environmental questions surrounding AI and its data centres for the moment, I want to talk about using AI. I know it’s easy to naysay new technologies. I’ve 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

Monday musings on Australian literature: Graphic nonfiction

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Last Monday I wrote my Monday Musings post on graphic novels, in which I defined the term and noted that it was sometimes applied so widely as to include graphic nonfiction. I understand this from a practical point of view. After all, in public libraries and bookshops the goal is to organise books in such … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Graphic nonfiction

Monday musings on Australian literature: Supporting genres, 10: Graphic novels

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Back in 2020 I commenced a "supporting genres" Monday Musings subseries, although some of the posts have been more form- than genre-based. Today's is one of those, and has been inspired, as many of you will have guessed, by a graphic novel winning this year's Stella Prize. And, as most of you will also know, … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Supporting genres, 10: Graphic novels

Monday musings on Australian literature: Trove treasures (17), Women readers (1)

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(Courtesy OCAL, via clker.com) Another post in my Monday Musings subseries called Trove Treasures, in which I share stories or comments, serious or funny, that I come across during my Trove travels.  Today's story popped up as I was looking for articles on women readers in general, and I couldn't resist sharing it as a … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Trove treasures (17), Women readers (1)

Monday musings on Australian literature: National Poet Laureate for Australia

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Australian poets have had a reputation for being a cantankerous lot, though whether this is still true I don't know. However, what is true is that the announcement by the Australian Government in 2023 that it would appoint a National Poet Laureate was not met by poets (or the literati) with universal acclaim. And why … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: National Poet Laureate for Australia

Monday musings on Australian literature: Vale David Malouf (1934-2026)

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Last week, one of our grand old men of Australian letters, David Malouf, died. He has been such a presence in our literary landscape since the mid-1970s, that, despite all that has been written and said over the last few days, it would feel disrespectful to let the occasion of his death pass. And, anyhow, … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Vale David Malouf (1934-2026)

Monday musings on Australian literature: 1961 in fiction (2)

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I said in last week's Monday Musing, which was dedicated Karen’s (Kaggsy’s Bookish Rambling) and Simon’s (Stuck in a Book) 1961 "Year Club", that I might write a second post this week. I know the week finished yesterday, 19 April, but I couldn't resist posting on a topic that popped up frequently during my research, … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: 1961 in fiction (2)