Reading Australian Literature is a lecture series inaugurated at the University of Sydney last year by its School of Letters, Arts and Media. The idea is for writers to talk about a literary text that means something to them. Here is how the website describes it: Writers’ festivals and other popular forums invite writers to talk about … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Reading Australian literature
Monday musings
Monday musings on Australian literature: Social media reviewing
I've been a bit distracted lately by life and so missed an article which appeared a few days ago in the online journal, The Conversation. Luckily, there's Twitter, so I didn't miss it entirely! Isn't social media grand? Except, of course, when you botch it. And this is where this article I nearly missed comes in ... … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Social media reviewing
Monday musings on Australian literature: Short Stories, 1920s style
"A good short story is a work of art, and a joy of forever!" So wrote the author of The Sydney Stock and Station Journal's "Our Book Column", back in March 1920. I hadn't planned to write about this topic today, but the various discussions of short stories I found while researching Trove distracted me. You all … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Short Stories, 1920s style
Monday musings on Australian literature: First winners of The Bulletin Novel Prize
"Once again women have proved that they can triumph over men"! So starts a 1928 newspaper article announcing the winners of the first Bulletin Novel Prize. Hmmm ... fascinating to read this the week we heard that eight of the ten books longlisted for the 2015 Miles Franklin Award are by women. I don't like to … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: First winners of The Bulletin Novel Prize
Monday musings on Australian literature: Scattered thoughts on memoirs
I've titled this Monday Musings "scattered thoughts" because I don't want to raise expectations that I'm going to write a treatise on what is a fascinating but oh-so complex topic. I was inspired to write this post by author Annabel Smith's asking me to take part in her Friday Faves* post on favourite memoirs. For this post, Smith asked … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Scattered thoughts on memoirs
Monday musings on Australian literature: Miles Franklin, and the mysterious Brent of Bin Bin
In last week's Monday Musings I discussed an article by Canadian-born author Aidan de Brune on the novelist Bernard Cronin in his West Australian series on Australian Authors. The now little-known Bernard Cronin was no. 3 in his series. Number 4, though, was one of the giants of Australian literature - then, and still now - … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Miles Franklin, and the mysterious Brent of Bin Bin
Monday musings on Australian literature: Bernard Cronin, an Old Derelict!
It's a bit cheeky, really, to write about a writer I've never read, but I do this occasionally, particularly in Monday Musings because I use them to educate myself as well as to share ideas and knowledge with you. I came across Bernard Cronin (1884-1968) when I was roving around Trove earlier this year. He's … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Bernard Cronin, an Old Derelict!
Monday musings on Australian literature: Novels set in Canberra
The time will come, I'm sure, when I start repeating myself in my Monday Musings posts. This week's post comes perilously close. I've written before about Canberra's centenary publications (The invisible thread and the Meanjin Canberra issue), and I've written about Capital women and men poets, and women and men novelists*, but I haven't specifically written about … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Novels set in Canberra
Monday musings on Australian literature: Pitch days
When I was researching last Monday's post on development programs for writers, I came across several references to publisher "pitch" days. As someone who isn't writing a book, and who has no plans to, the concept of a "pitch" day was something that hadn't made a big impact on me, though of course I knew what … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Pitch days
Monday musings on Australian literature: Writer development programs
I'm not a writer - as regular readers here would know - so I only have an outsider's understanding of how writers develop their skills. Here is what I know. First, of course, writers have to write - and write - and write. This is a pretty lonely business - and I suspect, often a frustrating … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Writer development programs
