Back in June I wrote a post on the Australian Literature Society's Women's Night that they held in 1922. This Society, which was formed in Melbourne in 1899, has played an important role in supporting and promoting Australian literature for well over a century - first as itself, and then as part of the Association … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Local colour, 1920-style
Australian literature
Monday musings on Australian literature: The new AWW, six months on
In February, a new AWW (Australian Women Writers blog) team, comprising its founder, Elizabeth Lhuede, Bill Holloway (The Australian Legend) and me, published our first post in our revamped blog. Six months on we have settled into a nice little routine which I'd like to share with you, but first ... Let me recap what … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: The new AWW, six months on
Monday musings on Australian literature: The Australian girl’s annual
Some time ago I posted on an old School friend annual that I found during my decluttering. Today, I bring you a much older annual for girls, The Australian girl's annual. It came not from my childhood, but from my aunt's house when I was working on her estate, and it is undated. As far … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: The Australian girl’s annual
Emma Viskic, Resurrection Bay (#BookReview)
Back in February, I said I planned to "read" more audiobooks this year, and slowly I'm achieving that goal with Emma Viskic's Resurrection Bay being my third for the year. In fact, it makes a particularly special contribution, because it is the first book I wanted to hear when we bought our new car with … Continue reading Emma Viskic, Resurrection Bay (#BookReview)
Anita Heiss, Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray (#BookReview)
Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray/River of dreams is Anita Heiss' second work of historical fiction, her first being Barbed wire and cherry blossoms about the 1944 Cowra breakout in which she imagines a relationship between a Japanese escapee and a young First Nations Australian woman. I have not read that novel, but I have read, over the last … Continue reading Anita Heiss, Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Supporting genres, 8: Science fiction
Unlike my last two posts in this "supporting genres"series, today's is a true-blue genre. The problem is, as many of you will realise, that it takes me way, way out of my comfort zone. However, with this week being National Science Week in Australia, I decided that it was a good time to tackle this … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Supporting genres, 8: Science fiction
Canberra Writers Festival 2022: (My) Session 3, Germaine Greer in conversation with Rick Morton
My third choice of sessions was also somewhat sentimental, because, with Germaine Greer now in her 80s, I wasn't sure how many more opportunities I'd get to see her in the flesh. But, I was disappointed because, the night before the event, the following email was sent out: Sadly, Ms Greer has had a fall … Continue reading Canberra Writers Festival 2022: (My) Session 3, Germaine Greer in conversation with Rick Morton
Canberra Writers Festival 2022: (My) Session 2, Her last words: The inspiring life and legacy of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
My second choice of sessions was, partly, sentimental, because Ruth Bader Ginsburg is such an inspiration for feminists like me and I also wanted to see ABC journalist Fran Kelly strut her stuff in person. I wasn't disappointed. The session was subtitled, Amanda Tyler In Conversation With Fran Kelly, and was framed as follows: Justice … Continue reading Canberra Writers Festival 2022: (My) Session 2, Her last words: The inspiring life and legacy of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Canberra Writers Festival 2022: (My) Session 1, Writing the precipice
A preamble After a long pandemic-caused hiatus during which it didn't, like many others, "pivot" to an online format, the Canberra Writers Festival is back. Unfortunately, it clashed with a time we could visit our Melbourne family, so the best I could do was reduce that trip by a day so I could at least … Continue reading Canberra Writers Festival 2022: (My) Session 1, Writing the precipice
Monday musings on Australian literature: Supporting genres, 7: Poetry
As with the last post in this series, which was on novellas, poetry isn't so much a genre as a form. However, to repeat what I said then, when I started this sub-series, I couldn't find one all-inclusive word to cover all the types of literary works I thought I'd cover, so settled on "genres". … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Supporting genres, 7: Poetry
Whispering Gums 