Tara June Winch's novel, The yield, follows her impressive - and David Unaipon award-winning - debut novel Swallow the air (my review). Ten years in the making, The yield could be described as her "passion project". It makes a powerful plea for Indigenous agency and culture. I wrote about The yield's genesis last year, but will repeat it … Continue reading Tara June Winch, The yield (#BookReview)
Australian literature
Monday musings on Australian literature: Spanish flu
COVID-19, history tells us, is a one in 100 year event, the last such event being the Spanish flu of 1918 to 1920. This week, I thought I'd share some references to the Spanish flu from Trove - not news reports about the course of the flu itself, but some random references that indicate the … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Spanish flu
Rick Morton, One hundred years of dirt (#BookReview)
Way back in the early 1970s when I was an undergraduate university student, I did some sociology, and one of our set books was The myth of equality by Tom Roper. It, and the courses around it, have informed ever since my understanding of how our society operates. Morton's book One hundred years of dirt … Continue reading Rick Morton, One hundred years of dirt (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Authors respond to COVID-19
In last week's Monday Musings I wrote more generally about COVID-19 and its impact on the Arts. Like that post, this one is not aiming to be a formal comprehensive one either; news and ideas are coming far too quickly. And, anyhow, as I also said last week, most if not all of you are … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Authors respond to COVID-19
Monday musings on Australian literature (and the arts): COVID-19
I don't know about you, but I'm finding it hard to settle to read, let alone write thoughtful reviews right now. (I'm sitting on one at the moment that I really want to do justice to, but my brain is all over the place.) Consequently, I'm going to just write a COVID-19 Monday Musings - … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature (and the arts): COVID-19
World Poetry Day 2020
I have written two World Poetry Day posts before, in 2016 and 2018, so why not again in 2020, particularly given, more than any year, we are probably in need of hearing what poets have to say - of being soothed, inspired, entertained, or yes, even admonished by them. Awarnessdays.com says of World Poetry Day: … Continue reading World Poetry Day 2020
Monday musings on Australian literature: Autumn Book Binge 2020
A big thanks to Lisa (ANZLitLovers) whose post on the Autumn Book Binge brought it to my attention. I knew immediately that I had to post on it - albeit with a little change, as you will see. The Autumn Book Binge (love the wordplay on "bingo") is being run by the State Library of … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Autumn Book Binge 2020
Monday musings on Australian literature: Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature
Hands up if you are familiar with the Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature and know who won its major categories this year? I may be out of touch, but it seems to me that these awards (about which I've written a couple of times before) are less well-known than some of their other state-based counterparts … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature
Stella Prize 2020 Shortlist announced
Well, lookee here, the Stella Prize shortlist was announced this morning while I was at Tai Chi so I am just getting to it now. And, I am rather pleased because, although I've only read one of the six, I am currently reading another, and have a third on my reading group schedule, so that's … Continue reading Stella Prize 2020 Shortlist announced
Monday musings on Australian literature: The Guardian Australia’s Unmissables
Although I'd seen it before, it was BookJotter Paula's latest Winding Up the Week (#110) post that reminded me of The Guardian Australia's Unmissables series. Initiated last March, Unmissables aims to highlight 12 new releases they deem "significant". Before I share the books highlighted to date, though, I'd like to talk about the project's funding because, … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: The Guardian Australia’s Unmissables
Whispering Gums 