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)
Literary awards
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
Monday musings on Australian literature: Supporting genres, 9: Romance novels
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)
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)
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)
Whispering Gums 