A week or so ago I wrote a post about reading difficult novels. As I researched that post, I came across many lists of difficult novels, including the one I included at the end of the post. The interesting thing is that none of the lists I saw included any Australian novels, and yet they … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Australia’s difficult novels
Monday musings
Monday musings on Australian literature: Here come the men!
Women really have dominated the literary awards season in Australia over the last two years. In 2012, the majority of the awards were won by Anna Funder with All that I am and Gillian Mears with Foal's bread. Last year it was mostly Michelle de Kretser with Questions of travel and Carrie Tiffany with Mateship … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Here come the men!
Monday musings on Australian literature: Top Aussie book sales in 2013
This is, I suppose, another end of year round-up post - but one about bookselling in Australia, which is something I don't usually write much about. However, since many of us love lists, I thought I'd share with you Australia's top selling books for 2103: Jeff Kinney: Hard luck: Diary of a wimpy kid (UK, … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Top Aussie book sales in 2013
Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian Women Writers’ Challenge 2013
As last year, I'm devoting my last Monday Musings for 2013 to the Australian Women Writers Challenge. This challenge, instigated by Elizabeth Lhuede in response to growing concern in Australian literary circles about lack of recognition for women writers, was so successful in 2012 that Elizabeth, with the help of a team of volunteers, decided to continue … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian Women Writers’ Challenge 2013
Monday musings on Australian literature: Translated fiction, Australian-style
Having just read and reviewed Linda Jaivin's Quarterly essay, Lost in translation: In praise of a plural world, I thought I'd research the state of translated fiction in Australia. Jaivin doesn't spend a lot of time of this particular issue, but in her concluding plea she says: Publishers need to consider how to prise open … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Translated fiction, Australian-style
Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian migration literature
Last week I reviewed Gabrielle Gouch's memoir, Once, only the swallows were free, in which she tells of her family's migration from Hungary to Romania to Israel, and then her own on to Australia. While Gouch focuses more on the brother left behind, she does touch on the challenges of migration - the dislocation and … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian migration literature
Monday musings on Australian literature: Australia Council Award
Last month the Australia Council announced this year's Lifetime Achievement Award for Australian Literature. This award used to be called the Writer's Emeritus Award, which I have written about before. Lifetime Achievement Award sounds better don't you think? After all, "emeritus" implies retirement but most winners never really retire - at least as far as … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Australia Council Award
Monday musings on Australian literature: The Walkley Awards
The Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism are Australia's premier awards for journalists. Last week the winners of the 58th awards were announced. According to the Walkley Foundation website, the awards were established in 1956 by Ampol Petroleum founder Sir William Gaston Walkley. Apparently, according to the website, William Walkley appreciated the media’s support for his … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: The Walkley Awards
Monday musings on Australian literature: Sisters in Crime
And now for something rather different here at Whispering Gums. Crime literature, as my regular readers know, is not my forte. In fact, I really only read crime if it comes my way for a specific reason - such as Peter Temple winning the Miles Franklin Award a few years ago. That doesn't mean however … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Sisters in Crime
Monday musings on Australian literature: MUBA 2013
Last year I reported on the inaugural MUBA - Most Under-rated Book Award. I hoped that it would continue, because it brings to our attention good books that somehow slide under the radar, mostly because their authors are less known and/or their publishers are small. In 2012, I had read one of the four short-listed … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: MUBA 2013
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