The 2025 Stella Prize winner was announced tonight at a special event at the Sydney Writers' Festival, and the winner is ... Michelle de Kretser's Theory & practice How happy am I that a book I reviewed only last week won the award! It is a provocative and thoroughly engrossing book in all the ways. … Continue reading Stella Prize 2025 Winner announced
Australian literature
Monday musings on Australian literature: Grandparent-lit
Last week's Monday Musings about the Les Murray Award for Refugee Recognition reminded me of the assumptions we make when engrossed in our own little world. When I first heard of this award being made to the slam poet Huda the Goddess, I assumed it was in the name of the Australian poet, Les Murray, … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Grandparent-lit
Michelle de Kretser, Theory & practice (#BookReview)
Michelle de Kretser's latest novel, Theory & practice, is a perfect example of why I should follow my own reading advice, which is that as soon as I finish a book I should go back and read the opening paragraphs, if not pages. I like to do this because there often lies clues to what … Continue reading Michelle de Kretser, Theory & practice (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Les Murray Award for Refugee Recognition
Now THIS is something different for Monday Musings. Yes, it is Australian, but it's not a literary award. Its full title is The Australia for UNHCR – SBS Les Murray Award for Refugee Recognition and, according to Australia's UNHCR website, it "recognises and celebrates the contribution of refugees who are shining a light on the … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Les Murray Award for Refugee Recognition
Author Talk: Twist with Colum McCann
Like the recent Canberra Writers Festival author talk we attended with Helen Garner, last night's event featuring Irish-born writer Colum McCann was a full-house. I have been wanting to read McCann for some time, but I hadn't realised just how big a following he has. The evening opened with a welcome and acknowledgement of country … Continue reading Author Talk: Twist with Colum McCann
Monday musings on Australian literature: Stella Prize Shortlist 2025
I missed reporting on the Stella Prize shortlist when it was announced in April, which is unusual for me, but it was a busy time and I just didn't get to it. It was well reported at the time, so I'm sure those who wanted to know didn't miss the news. Consequently, my aim here … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Stella Prize Shortlist 2025
Monday musings on Australian literature: 1952 in fiction (2), a national stocktaking
I said in last week's Monday Musing, which was dedicated to (Kaggsy's Bookish Rambling) and Simon's (Stuck in a Book) 1952 "Year Club", that I wouldn't write about the ongoing issue of journalists and academics feeling the need to defend Australian literature, because I've discussed it before. However, I did read an interesting article on … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: 1952 in fiction (2), a national stocktaking
Kylie Tennant, The face of despair (#Review, #1952 Club)
Once again, as I've been doing for most to the Year Clubs, I am using it as an opportunity to read an Australian short story, usually from one of my anthologies. For 1952, however, the anthologies came up empty, but I did find one via AustLit, and then tracked it down in The Bulletin. The … Continue reading Kylie Tennant, The face of despair (#Review, #1952 Club)
Monday musings on Australian literature: 1952 in fiction
Once again it's Karen's (Kaggsy's Bookish Rambling) and Simon's (Stuck in a Book) "Year Club" week. This week, it is 1952, and it runs from today, 21 to 27 April. As for the last 7 clubs, I am devoting my Monday Musings to the week. The 1950s represent the main period of the Baby Boomer … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: 1952 in fiction
Helen Garner, The season (#BookReview)
In 2023, The New Yorker published a piece on Helen Garner. Written by Australian journalist, Helen Sullivan, its title, "The startling candor of Helen Garner", captures exactly what I like about Garner, as does this a little further on: Her writing is elegant but colloquial, characterized by an impulse to say and share things others … Continue reading Helen Garner, The season (#BookReview)
Whispering Gums 