Monday musings on Australian literature: The Stella Prize longlist

Miles Franklin, c. 1940s (Presumed Public Domain, via Wikipedia) I have mentioned the new Stella Prize before but, for those of you who may not be across this new award on the Australian literary scene, here is a brief recap. It is named for Miles Franklin – her full name was  Stella Maria Sarah Miles … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: The Stella Prize longlist

Monday musings on Australian literature: Literary Awards for Short Stories

Since we've been currently talking about short stories - or, at least, I have been doing so here in my little corner of the litblog world - I though it might be a good time to list some of the literary awards dedicated to short stories in Australia. It's a bit of a lazy post … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Literary Awards for Short Stories

Monday musings on Australian literature: Some thoughts on specialised literary awards

Did you hear last week that the Man Group is, after the current award, withdrawing its support for the Man Asian Literary Prize? I heard it via a tweet from a member of our prize team for the 2011 prize. This, in the same year that the Queensland premier cancelled the Queensland Premier's Literary Awards. … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Some thoughts on specialised literary awards

Queensland Literary (Fiction) Awards, 2012: Woo-hoo

Readers of this blog might remember that earlier this year the new premier of Queensland axed his state's Premier's Literary Awards ... to a great outcry from literary aficionados around the country. However, with a wonderful can-do attitude and the support of private sponsors, a group of volunteers revived the awards, rebadged as the Queensland … Continue reading Queensland Literary (Fiction) Awards, 2012: Woo-hoo

Monday musings on Australian literature: Prime Minister’s Literary Awards 2012

Last year I attended and reported on the post-announcement panel for the Prime Minister's Literary Awards, held at the National Library of Australia. I attended again this year and, since it occurred today, Monday, I've decide to devote this week's Monday musings to it. First, the winners: Fiction: Gillian Mears' Foal's bread (My review) Poetry: Luke … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Prime Minister’s Literary Awards 2012

Jeanine Leane, Purple threads (Review for Indigenous Literature Week)

Bookcover via University of Queensland Press* What I especially like about Jeanine Leane's book, Purple threads, is how well she draws the universal out of the particular. That she does this is not unusual in itself. After all, this is what our favourite books tend to do. The interesting thing about Purple threads, though, is … Continue reading Jeanine Leane, Purple threads (Review for Indigenous Literature Week)

Elizabeth Harrower, The watch tower (Review)

Cover for The watch tower (Courtesy: Text Publishing) Elizabeth Harrower's fourth and final novel, The watch tower, is a rather harrowing (couldn't resist that) read. It is also an astonishing read, and I wonder why it has had such little recognition over the decades or so since its publication in 1966. Thanks to Text Classics, … Continue reading Elizabeth Harrower, The watch tower (Review)