Most readers here know the origins of the the Stella Prize. I have written about it many times before, but it was in my post on the inaugural longlist in 2013 that I described its origins and goals in a little detail. I wrote then that: The award was created by a group of 11 … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Stella Book of the Month
Australian literature
Karen Viggers in conversation with Alex Sloan
When Colin Steele emailed out the schedule, to date, for this year's Meet the Author series, I immediately marked in my calendar those events I could attend. There weren't many, as life is busy with yoga, tai chi, reading group and concert subscriptions, but the first I could attend was local author Karen Viggers (who … Continue reading Karen Viggers in conversation with Alex Sloan
Vale Marion Halligan (1940-2024)
Such sad news. I have just heard that Marion Halligan, one of Australia's literary treasures, died yesterday. She has been frail for some time, but the last time I saw, and spoke briefly to, her was at the 2023 ACT Book Awards in December. She was her usual engaged self, though also frustrated with the … Continue reading Vale Marion Halligan (1940-2024)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Lothian Book Publishing Company
As I research for my 1924 Monday Musings series, I am coming across articles that don't neatly fit into 1924-dedicated posts but that I want to document. The most recent one concerned the Lothian Book Publishing Company. It was about a specific initiative, which I will discuss at the end of this post, but I … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Lothian Book Publishing Company
Monday musings on Australian literature: Forgotten writers 3, Marion Simons
Back in 2021, I started a Monday Musings sub-series on forgotten Australian writers, but to date have only written on two - Helen Simpson and Eliza Hamilton Dunlop. I have been intending to get back to it and with this year's slight revamp of Elizabeth Lhuede's and my contributions to the Australian Women Writers blog, … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Forgotten writers 3, Marion Simons
Monday musings on Australian literature: Secrets from the Green Room
I have planned to write about the Secrets from the Green Room podcast series pretty much since it started in late 2020, but for one reason or another time has got away from me and here we are, some four years later ... and I'm finally there. The good thing is that it is still … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Secrets from the Green Room
Monday musings on Australian literature: Gloomy books
As I did last year for 1923, I plan a series of posts through this year about Australian literature in the year 1924. What I write about will be driven by what I find. So far, I've found articles on the Platypus Series, but I wrote about that inititiative last year, and of course about … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Gloomy books
Al Campbell, The keepers (#BookReview)
Al Campbell's debut novel, The keepers, is a complex and ambitious novel about parenting, specifically about parenting children who are deemed too difficult by society, leaving their mothers, or carers, to survive, or not, as best they can. It's confronting but, unfortunately, all too real. That this is its theme is obvious from the novel's … Continue reading Al Campbell, The keepers (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: My favourite (Australian) fictional character(s)
Over the last twelve months or so, The Conversation has published occasional articles titled "My favourite fictional character". In each article the writer names a character and justifies their choice. As far as I can tell, there have been six so far, and most have chosen non-Australian characters. The choosers and their choices have been: … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: My favourite (Australian) fictional character(s)
Monday musings on Australian Literature: the Story Factory
In last week's Monday Musings on Parramatta's inaugural Laureate for Literature, I mentioned that Parramatta had been chosen as the second location for the non-profit organisation, the Story Factory. I said I'd do a separate Monday Musings on it, and have decided it might as well be now. So, who or what is the Story … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian Literature: the Story Factory
Whispering Gums 