Literary awards

Monday musings on Australian literature: Tasmanian Literary Awards

/ Whispering Gums / 34 Comments

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

Monday musings on Australian literature: Supporting genres, 9: Romance novels

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Back in 2020 I commenced a Monday Musings subseries I called "supporting genres". Some of the posts have, admittedly, been more form- than genre-based. Today's however is a genre, and one I have been putting off because it's not one I am at all familiar with. However, with Valentine's Day looming this week, I felt … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Supporting genres, 9: Romance novels

Sonya Voumard, Tremor (#BookReview)

/ Whispering Gums / 13 Comments

As I've previously reported, Sonya Voumard's short memoir, Tremor, is one of the two winners of this year's Finlay Lloyd 20/40 Publishing Prize. Earlier this month, I reviewed the fiction winner, P.S. Cottier and N.G. Hartland's novella The thirty-one legs of Vladimir Putin. Now it's Voumard's turn, with her book on living with a neurological … Continue reading Sonya Voumard, Tremor (#BookReview)

PS Cottier and NG Hartland, The thirty-one legs of Vladimir Putin (#BookReview)

/ Whispering Gums / 19 Comments

Earlier this month, I posted on a conversation with the winners of the 2024 Finlay Lloyd 20/40 Publishing Prize, P S Cottier and N G Hartland, who wrote The thirty-one legs of Vladimir Putin, and Sonya Voumard, who wrote Tremor. On the surface, these books look very different, but conversation facilitator, Sally Pryor, found some … Continue reading PS Cottier and NG Hartland, The thirty-one legs of Vladimir Putin (#BookReview)

Monday musings on Australian literature: Writers in the news (1)

/ Whispering Gums / 19 Comments

Australian writers have been capturing attention - here and overseas - in the last few months. I've been noting these stories as they've popped up, and kept planning to post on them, but somehow, time just slipped by and more stories kept coming. Consequently, most Aussie readers here will know most of these news items … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Writers in the news (1)

Finlay Lloyd 20/40 Publishing Prize 2024 Winning Books Launch with Conversation

/ Whispering Gums / 10 Comments

I mentioned the nonfiction winner of the 2024 Finlay Lloyd 20/40 Publishing Prize, in this week's Monday Musings, but saved the full winner announcement until after I attended the launch at a conversation with the winning authors this weekend. The participants This year, as publisher Julian Davies had hoped, there was a prize for fiction … Continue reading Finlay Lloyd 20/40 Publishing Prize 2024 Winning Books Launch with Conversation

Monday musings on Australian literature: Aussie Booker Prize listees

/ Whispering Gums / 23 Comments

In terms of the Booker Prize, it's been a long time between drinks for Aussie writers. By this I mean that Charlotte Wood's shortlisting for the 2024 prize with Stone Yard devotional, breaks the longest drought Australian writers have had in terms of being listed for the prize since its commencement in 1969. It has … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Aussie Booker Prize listees