Alice Munro won this year's Man Booker International Prize. You probably know that she is a Canadian short story writer. I have read many of her short stories over the years, though not as many as I would like. WARNING: SOME SPOILERS! Her short story "Dimension" was published in the New Yorker in 2006, and … Continue reading Alice Munro, Dimension
Literary awards
Four time winner: Tim Winton wins 2009 Miles Franklin
Tim Winton's fourth Miles Franklin Award in 2009 for Breath means he has equalled Thea Astley's four awards.
Steve Toltz, A fraction of the whole
I reckon the voters for the NSW Premier's Literary Awards inaugural People's Choice Award got it right when they chose Toltz's A fraction of the whole as the first winner. Not necessarily because it is the best book of the year, because I'm not sure that it is, but because it is such a life-writ-large … Continue reading Steve Toltz, A fraction of the whole
What does prestigious mean?
In the June issue of Limelight magazine is this news item: Entries are now open for two of Australia's most prestigious literary prizes, the Melbourne Prize for Literature, and Best Writing Award. The first is awarded to a Victorian author who has made an outstanding contribution to literature and is worth $60K, the latter is … Continue reading What does prestigious mean?
Christos Tsiolkas, The slap (Review)
You could easily give yourself away when reviewing Christos Tsiolkas’ latest novel, The slap. For example, do you align yourself with the uncompromising, emotional earth mother Rosie or the rational, cool and collected but somewhat more willing to compromise Aisha? Do you rail against the liberal use of expletives, the relaxed attitude to recreational drug … Continue reading Christos Tsiolkas, The slap (Review)
Joan London, The good parents (Spoilers, sort of)
I was looking forward to reading Joan London's most recent novel, The good parents, because I loved her Gilgamesh, not only for its engrossing story but also for its evocation of place and period and its spare writing. The plot of The good parents is a simple one. Maya, Jacob and Toni's 18 year-old daughter, disappears just before … Continue reading Joan London, The good parents (Spoilers, sort of)
Whispering Gums 