All being well, my next post - or, a very near future one - will be on Chris Flynn's astonishing short story collection, Here be Leviathans. As I was reading it, I came quite serendipitously across Nina Culley's article titled "Weird is in", in Kill Your Darlings*. The article references Chris Flynn's collection and some … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Weird fiction
Australian literature
Monday musings on Australian literature: Trove treasures (10), On short novels
As I've said before in this series, not all the "treasures" I find, particularly those from the 19th and early 20th centuries, are specifically Australian, but I justify them because in those colonial and early post-colonial times English content tended to reign supreme. This post was inspired by my serendipitously coming across an article praising … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Trove treasures (10), On short novels
Monday musings on Australian literature: First Nations Australian non-fiction
Since 2013, I have devoted the Monday Musings that occurs in NAIDOC Week to a First Nations topic. This year I've chosen First Nations Australian non-fiction. I have previously written Monday Musings on biographies, autobiographies and memoirs by First Nations writers, but what about other sorts of non-fiction? Before I get to that though, a bit about … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: First Nations Australian non-fiction
ACT Notable Book Awards 2023
Board Chair Emma Batchelor, and acting CEO Katy Mutton, at the Awards Tonight I attended the presentation of the ACT Notable Book Awards which are made by Marion (the ACT Writers Centre). It was a well-organised event, but had a wonderfully natural and friendly feel to it at the same time, appeals to me. I'll … Continue reading ACT Notable Book Awards 2023
Monday musings on Australian literature: A question about things
A different sort of Monday Musings this week ... My reading group's June book is Edwina Preston's Bad art mother, which was published by Wakefield Press last year and which I'll be reviewing soon. (If you don't know it and are interested, you can check out Lisa's review.) It was shortlisted this year for the … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: A question about things
Monday musings on Australian literature: Trove treasures (9), Pro-novel reading, early 20th century
Last week, in my Trove Treasures series, I shared some ideas published in the 19th century arguing for reading novels. Now, I am sharing some from the first decades of the 20th century. The articles range from 1903 to 1928, with many, again, coming from London. Diversion and instruction Two papers - Brisbane's The Telegraph … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Trove treasures (9), Pro-novel reading, early 20th century
Monday musings on Australian literature: Trove treasures (8), Pro-novel reading, 19th century
Édouard Manet, The Reading (1865-1873), Manet's son reading in the background. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Continuing my Trove Treasures series, I am turning this week to some of the discussions I found about the value of novel-reading. Three months ago, I shared some of the arguments made against novel-reading, but in fact, in the … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Trove treasures (8), Pro-novel reading, 19th century
Monday musings on Australian literature: Trove treasures (7), What police read
Number 7 in my Trove Treasures series was inspired by a little piece that appeared in Sydney's Daily Telegraph on 6 December 1946. It was titled, "Men join police force after reading novels". Naturally, I was intrigued. What novels, for example? The story's subject was one Constable J. Simons who had just resigned the police … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Trove treasures (7), What police read
Monday musings on Australian literature: Reconciliation Day musings
Since 2018 in the Australian Capital Territory, the first Monday after (or on) 27 May (the anniversary of the 1967 referendum) is a public holiday called Reconciliation Day. It is part of Reconciliation Week which, says Wikipedia, aims "to celebrate Indigenous history and culture in Australia and foster reconciliation discussion and activities". Because Mr Gums and I have reached … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Reconciliation Day musings
Monday musings on Australian literature: Best Young Australian Novelists (5)
Okay, so last week I said that post would be the end of the current little run of awards posts - but then I saw the announcement of this year's Best Young Australian Novelists award, and decided we could cope with just one more. I really will try to offer something new (or, do I … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Best Young Australian Novelists (5)
Whispering Gums 