Yesterday's post on young writer Ben Smith Noble's prize-winning short story, "The sands of time" inspired today's post. I've written about several prizes over the years - the big ones, and the more targeted ones - but not prizes for Young Writers. It's a tricky topic to write about. There's the definition of "young" and … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Young Writers Awards
Monday musings
Monday musings on Australian literature: Aurealis Awards for Speculative Fiction
Those of you who know my lack of interest in science fiction might be surprised to see a post dedicated to the genre here. However, I do like to be more representative in my Monday Musings series. If that means sometimes moving into areas that are out of my comfort zone, then so be it. … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Aurealis Awards for Speculative Fiction
Monday musings on Australian literature: Australia’s most successful writer, ever
The obvious question to ask when someone makes a "best ever" claim is by what criteria? The easiest way to justify "best" is with numbers. And so it is here, as it's with numbers that Australian publisher Allen & Unwin's blog, Things Made From Letters, suggests that Morris West is "Australia's most successful writer, ever." … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Australia’s most successful writer, ever
Monday musings on Australian literature: Jane Austen and the Stolen Generations
Yes, you read right, this very brief Monday Musings post is about what Jane Austen might have said - did say in her way - about the Stolen Generations. What makes great literature great is its timelessness. By this I mean the fact that what is said in, say 1815, is still relevant in, say, … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Jane Austen and the Stolen Generations
Monday musings on Australian literature: AusLit Women Academics on Colonial Women Writers
Over January, some of us Australian litbloggers - as the result of Bill's (The Australian Legend) AWW Gen 1 Week - have been talking about early Australian women writers. It's a topic of great interest to me, ever since the 1980s when I became interested in these writers. There seemed to be a flurry, at … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: AusLit Women Academics on Colonial Women Writers
Monday musings on Australian literature: Reading aloud in colonial Australia
At the end of last week's Monday Musings post on literary culture in colonial Australia, I commented that author Elizabeth Webby had also discussed the practice of reading aloud, and that I might do a future post on that. Well, not only might I, but I've decided to do it this week because I was fascinated. (Just … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Reading aloud in colonial Australia
Monday musings on Australian literature: Literary culture in colonial Australia
National Library of Australia, from the other side of Lake Burley Griffin Bill of The Australian Legend's AWW Gen 1 Week, which has just finished, focused on the authors and the books they wrote about colonial Australia. However, what about the readers? I've been planning to write a post on literary culture in colonial Australia for … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Literary culture in colonial Australia
Monday musings on Australian literature: Tasma (aka Jessie Couvreur)
Tasma, c. 1890. (Public Domain, from the State Library of Victoria, via Wikipedia) This week Bill (of The Australian Legend) is running an Australian Women Writers Gen 1 Week, through which he plans to highlight Australian women writers from our first generation of writers, which he defines as "those writers who came before the 1890s … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Tasma (aka Jessie Couvreur)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Some New Releases in 2018
This, you may be pleased to know, is the last of my set of end-of-year-beginning-of-year posts. And, as is obvious from the post title, it's about books that will be published this year. As in previous years, I'll just be sharing a selection of those that interest me (though listing them doesn't mean that I … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Some New Releases in 2018
Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian Women Writers Challenge 2017
As has become tradition, I'm devoting my last Monday Musings of the year to the Australian Women Writers Challenge*. But, this time, my last Monday Musings also coincides with Christmas Day, so I wish a happy, peaceful holiday season to all my readers here who celebrate this time of year, however or whatever you celebrate. Now, on … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian Women Writers Challenge 2017
Whispering Gums 