Ali Cobby Eckermann has been on my radar for a while, so when Lisa announced her 2016 Indigenous Literature Week, I decided Eckermann's verse novel Ruby Moonlight would be my first choice. This novel won the poetry prize and the book of the year in the 2013 New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards. I enjoy verse novels but … Continue reading Ali Cobby Eckermann, Ruby Moonlight (Review)
First Nations Australians
Monday musings on Australian literature: Recent books by Indigenous Australians
Next week, from 3rd to 10th of July, Lisa at ANZLitlovers is running her now annual Indigenous Literature Week. While she usually holds it during or near Australia's NAIDOC Week in order to support that program's goal of increasing awareness and understanding of indigenous Australian culture, she does in fact accept reviews of works by … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Recent books by Indigenous Australians
Monday musings on Australian literature: Explorer’s journals (1, Edward John Eyre)
I have delved before into Australian explorer's journals when researching posts, but I must admit that I've never read one right through. However, I don't think that prevents my sharing some of the things they have to offer ... Project Gutenberg Australia (PGA), which I've described before, is a rich resource of a wide variety of copyright-free works, including, not surprisingly, Australiana. … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Explorer’s journals (1, Edward John Eyre)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Blak and Bright
I should have written about the Blak and Bright last Monday, as the Festival was held last weekend, but unfortunately I only heard about it - my inattention, I'm sure - a few days ago, via an ABC RN program (which you can listen to online). However, although the actual Festival is now over, I think it's still … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Blak and Bright
My encounter with Encounters
I rarely write about museum exhibitions, and when I do it's usually in the context of a travel post, but I do want to share with you our National Museum of Australia's current exhibition, Encounters. Subtitled "Revealing stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Objects from the British Museum", it is described by the Museum as "one … Continue reading My encounter with Encounters
Monday musings on Australian literature: Utopia, Paraguay and Australian writers
Utopia, Paraguay, Australia? I'm referring, of course, as many Australians will know, to the Utopian colony, New Australia or Colonia Nueva Australia, which was established in Paraguay in 1893 by the New Australia Movement, with the support of the Paraguayan government. This movement was founded by William Lane, whose novel The workingman's paradise I reviewed quite … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Utopia, Paraguay and Australian writers
Monday musings on Australian literature: David Unaipon Award
I've mentioned the David Unaipon Award several times in passing but have never devoted a post specifically to it. Today seemed to be a good time to do it, as it would mean I've bookended this year's NAIDOC week with Monday Musings posts devoted to indigenous literature. Just to recap, David Unaipon is credited as the … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: David Unaipon Award
Monday musings on Australian literature: NAIDOC Week 2015
Australians will be aware that this week, July 5 to 12, is NAIDOC Week. NAIDOC originally stood for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee, the committee that was once responsible for organising national activities during NAIDOC Week. However, this acronym has now become the name of the week, which suggests just how significant, and well-accepted, this … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: NAIDOC Week 2015
Ellen van Neerven, Heat and light (Review)
It's silly I know, but I had a little thrill at the end of Ellen van Neerven's Heat and light, because not only was the last story set in a place where I spent six of the formative years of my childhood - Sandgate on the northern edge of Brisbane - but one of the characters learnt to … Continue reading Ellen van Neerven, Heat and light (Review)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Indigenous writers recommend …
Last week, to commemorate the beginning of NAIDOC Week, I devoted Monday Musings to Anita Heiss's series of interviews with indigenous Australian writers, In conversation with BlackWords. I said then that this week's post would also draw from the series - and so here it is. I'm not 100% sure of Heiss's process, but I … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Indigenous writers recommend …
