Monday musings on Australian literature: Specialist literary festivals

Are you a reader of crime or science fiction or fantasy? Or, perhaps of poetry? A few weeks ago I wrote a post on regional literary festivals in Australia. I focused then on festivals for general and/or literary fiction. But, if you have specialist reading inclinations, there are also likely to be festivals for you. … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Specialist literary festivals

Monday musings on Australian literature: ABR’s first laureate

While I was gallivanting in the northern hemisphere in April, ABR (the Australian Book Review) announced its first ever laureate. I missed it at the time, but heard of it soon after my return, and am now sharing it with you. For most Aussie readers, though, it's probably a bit old hat! ABR's concept of … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: ABR’s first laureate

Monday musings on Australian literature: Reading Matters’ ANZLitMonth

This is the third year that expat journalist Kim has hosted an Australian Literature month on her blog Reading Matters - except that this year, for the first time, she has included New Zealand literature in her scope. As she writes in her introductory post, her aim is to celebrate and "raise awareness of the amazing range of literature … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Reading Matters’ ANZLitMonth

Monday musings on Australian literature: Regional literary festivals

With the Sydney Writers' Festival kicking off today, I thought it might be interesting to turn our thoughts briefly to the regions. We (well, Aussie readers anyhow) know the big well-established city festivals, in particular Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, but there are also many smaller festivals, some rural, some suburban. In this post I plan to … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Regional literary festivals

Monday musings on Australian literature: Non-fiction literary awards

This will probably be my last post on specialised literary awards, but it is an important one to cover, not least because while I was away a non-fiction work, Clare Wright's The forgotten rebels of Eureka, won the Stella Prize in its second year. This is notable because while most awards seem to be specially … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Non-fiction literary awards

Monday musings on Australian literature: If I were going to the Sydney Writers Festival

I'm afraid I don't have a real Monday musings today. I'm in the process of packing up to leave Toronto later today, so thought I'd just share with you the program from this year's Sydney Writers Festival. Once again, I don't expect that I'll manage to attend. Its timing is always slap-bang in the middle … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: If I were going to the Sydney Writers Festival

Monday musings on Australian literature: Emerging or debut writer awards

Almost as important for emerging writers as the unpublished manuscript awards, about which I wrote recently, are the awards devoted to new, mostly defined as debut, writers. That is, these awards are for writers lucky enough to have been published - and who knows, some may have won an unpublished manuscript award to get published - … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Emerging or debut writer awards

Monday musings on Australian literature: Juvenilia Press

Literature enthusiasts are often not happy to just read their favourite authors' novels. They (we) want to read everything written by our favourites. This can include letters, diaries and juvenilia. I have written before about Jane Austen's Juvenilia, including a review of her story Love and freindship (sic). Her early works provide a wonderful insight … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Juvenilia Press