Indigenous author Bruce Pascoe's Dark emu, black seeds: Agriculture or accident? was my reading group's October book, and a very interesting read and discussion it turned out to be. It's not a simple book to discuss and really got us thinking, eliciting a variety of responses, though we all agreed with Pascoe's basic premise that we Australians need … Continue reading Bruce Pascoe, Dark emu, black seeds: Agriculture or accident? (Review)
Literary awards
Monday musings on Australian literature: Patrick White (Literary) Award
I was thrilled to hear on the radio this morning that Carmel Bird had won this year's Patrick White (Literary) Award. Bird is such a worthy winner for this award, but more on that anon. The Patrick White Award* is named, obviously, for one of Australia's most significant writers and only, to date, Nobel Laureate in Literature. … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Patrick White (Literary) Award
Monday musings on Australian literature: 2016 awards season dragging to a close
As the year draws to a close, our final major literary awards are being announced. We've seen this month the winners of the Queensland Literary Awards and the Western Australian Premier's Book Awards. The Barbara Jefferis Award has announced its shortlist, but we are still waiting for the Prime Minister's Literary Awards shortlist. All but one … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: 2016 awards season dragging to a close
Anthony Doerr, All the light we cannot see (Review)
Just when you thought that there couldn't possibly be another angle to writing about World War 2, up comes another book that does just that, like, for example, Anthony Doerr's Pulitzer prize-winning All the light we cannot see. I had, of course, heard of it, but it wasn't high on my reading agenda until it was chosen as … Continue reading Anthony Doerr, All the light we cannot see (Review)
My literary week (3), mid-winter 2016
Today pretty much marks the middle of winter for us downunder, and what an unusually cold and wet winter it's been, at least in my city. We've had more rain than usual, and we've had snow, which is rare for us though not unheard of. Our average July maximum is around 12-13°C but this last … Continue reading My literary week (3), mid-winter 2016
Monday musings on Australian literature: Miles Franklin Award, the third decade (1978-1987)
Today's post is the third in my little sub-series of posts looking at the Miles Franklin Award by decade. As before, I don't plan to list all the decade's winners, as you can find them on the Award's official site. Instead, I'll share some interesting snippets, inspired by my Trove meanders. Women writers on the rise? The late 1970s and 1980s … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Miles Franklin Award, the third decade (1978-1987)
Julie Proudfoot, The neighbour (Review)
When Julie Proudfoot offered me her debut novel, The neighbour, for review I was more than happy to accept. After all, it had won Seizure magazine's Viva La Novella Prize in 2014, and you all know how much I love a novella. I must say it's a gorgeous looking book. I'm not one to judge books … Continue reading Julie Proudfoot, The neighbour (Review)
My literary week (2), or so
No, I'm not going to write weekly "My literary week" posts - my last one was, anyhow, two weeks ago - but sometimes things happen that I want to share, and bundling them up seems the best way to do it. Miles Franklin Award Shortlist The shortlist for Australia's best known literary award was announced last … Continue reading My literary week (2), or so
My literary week (1), in a sense
I say "in a sense" because my reading has been slow this week as Mr Gums and I have been getting back up to speed after our Lake Eyre trip. However, in terms of the literary world, much has been happening and I thought I'd share some with you, documenting it at the same time for … Continue reading My literary week (1), in a sense
Monday musings on Australian literature: Miles Franklin Award, the second decade (1968-1977)
Three weeks ago, I published a post on the first decade of the Miles Franklin Award. That seemed to interest some of my readers, so I'm back again with the next decade. I hope it's equally interesting. Again, I won't be describing all the decade's winners. You can check the Award's official site to see a complete list of … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Miles Franklin Award, the second decade (1968-1977)
Whispering Gums 