There are not, apparently, many prizes for humour writing around the world, but we have two here in Australia, the Russell Prize and the John Clarke Prize. Those from other countries include the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize (UK), the Thurber Prize for American Humour, and the Leacock Memorial Medal for Canadian Humour. Do you know … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Prizes for Humour Writing
Literary awards
Monday musings on Australian literature: Collaborative story-telling between First Nations Australian and white writers
National NAIDOC Logo (2025) NAIDOC Week 2025 started yesterday, and as I have done for many years now, I am devoting my NAIDOC Week Monday Musings to celebrating First Nations writers in some way. This year is a particularly special year because it marks NAIDOC Week's 50th anniversary, 50 years it says, "of honoring and … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Collaborative story-telling between First Nations Australian and white writers
ACT Literary Awards 2025
Last night, I attended the presentation of the ACT Literary Awards (which I have attended for the last couple of years). These awards are made by Marion (previously, the ACT Writers Centre), and this year's event was MC'd again by Katy Mutton and Board Chair, Emma Batchelor. These awards were also framed as kicking off … Continue reading ACT Literary Awards 2025
Elizabeth Strout, Olive Kitteridge (#BookReview)
Elizabeth Strout's Pulitzer prize winning novel Olive Kitteridge has been around for 17 years, but it's only now that I have managed to read it. And that's because my reading group scheduled it as our June read. It's not that I didn't want to read it - I really did - but other books kept … Continue reading Elizabeth Strout, Olive Kitteridge (#BookReview)
Miles Franklin Award 2025 shortlist
For some reason, I haven't posted on the Miles Franklin Award shortlist for a few years, probably partly due to timing because I often travel in the southern hemisphere winter. However, I have time to post on this year's shortlist that has just been announced, and, what's more, I have read or will read more … Continue reading Miles Franklin Award 2025 shortlist
Percival Everett, James (#BookReview)
Well, let's see how I go with this post on Percival Everett's Pulitzer Prize winning novel James. I read all but 30 pages of this novel before my reading group's meeting on 27 May. I was not at the meeting as I was in Far North Queensland, but I wanted to send in some notes, … Continue reading Percival Everett, James (#BookReview)
Stella Prize 2025 Winner announced
The 2025 Stella Prize winner was announced tonight at a special event at the Sydney Writers' Festival, and the winner is ... Michelle de Kretser's Theory & practice How happy am I that a book I reviewed only last week won the award! It is a provocative and thoroughly engrossing book in all the ways. … Continue reading Stella Prize 2025 Winner announced
Monday musings on Australian literature: Stella Prize Shortlist 2025
I missed reporting on the Stella Prize shortlist when it was announced in April, which is unusual for me, but it was a busy time and I just didn't get to it. It was well reported at the time, so I'm sure those who wanted to know didn't miss the news. Consequently, my aim here … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Stella Prize Shortlist 2025
Monday musings on Australian literature: Tasmanian Literary Awards
While some state literary awards are well established - such as the NSW and Victorian Premier's Literary Awards - others seem to struggle to gain and maintain traction. But, where there's a will, there's usually a way, as we saw in Queensland in 2012 when new premier Campbell Newman cancelled the Queensland Premier's Literary Awards. … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Tasmanian Literary Awards
Stella Prize 2025 Longlist announced
Last year the Stella Prize longlist announcement took place on a Monday, gazumping that week's Monday Musings. This year it's a Tuesday, and it was again streamed online from the Adelaide Festival Writers Week ... As I say every year, I don't do well at having read the Stella Prize longlist at the time of … Continue reading Stella Prize 2025 Longlist announced
Whispering Gums 