For some reason - perhaps because I don't write about every award every year - I've only written once before about the ACT Book of the Year Award. It is an award presented by the ACT Government. Unlike most of the state government awards, the award is limited to ACT Writers, and, like the Stella, … Continue reading ACT Book of the Year Award 2022 shortlist announced
Literary awards
Stella Prize 2023 Shortlist announced
It says something about my discombobulated year that I didn’t post on the Stella Prize longlist. And then, I was packing for Melbourne this morning while I listened to the shortlist announcement on ABC RN Breakfast. (Something new I think for Stella.) I didn't have time to stop and write my post, then, but here … Continue reading Stella Prize 2023 Shortlist announced
Jessica Au, Cold enough for snow (#BookReview)
What did I say about mothers and daughters recently? Just when I thought I'd done with them for the year, along came another, Jessica Au's gorgeous novella, Cold enough for snow. However, before I get to that, let me describe the award it won, The Novel Prize. Cold enough for snow was the inaugural winner … Continue reading Jessica Au, Cold enough for snow (#BookReview)
Nell Pierce, A place near Eden (#BookReview)
Nell Pierce's debut novel, A place near Eden, won the 2022 The Australian/Vogel Literary Award. It was my reading group's last book of the year, and it engendered a lively discussion, partly because our response was mixed and partly because its setting on the south coast of New South Wales is well-known to us. Part … Continue reading Nell Pierce, A place near Eden (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: on 20/40, a new publishing prize
We all like to see a new literary or publishing prize. That is, most of us do, because I do appreciate that prizes in the arts are problematic, and that some do not, for perfectly valid reasons, like them. However, for most, the positives outweigh the negatives. These positives include - in different combinations - … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: on 20/40, a new publishing prize
Monday musings on Australian literature: The Miles Franklin Rights Project
Some months ago, I became aware of The Miles Franklin Rights Project, and of course, it piqued my interest, so I flagged it for a future Monday Musings. The project apparently commenced in early 2021, and is still continuing. Before I describe the project, though, I need to explain for non-Aussie readers here that the … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: The Miles Franklin Rights Project
Monday musings on Australian literature: Supporting genres, 8: Science fiction
Unlike my last two posts in this "supporting genres"series, today's is a true-blue genre. The problem is, as many of you will realise, that it takes me way, way out of my comfort zone. However, with this week being National Science Week in Australia, I decided that it was a good time to tackle this … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Supporting genres, 8: Science fiction
Monday musings on Australian literature: Supporting genres, 7: Poetry
As with the last post in this series, which was on novellas, poetry isn't so much a genre as a form. However, to repeat what I said then, when I started this sub-series, I couldn't find one all-inclusive word to cover all the types of literary works I thought I'd cover, so settled on "genres". … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Supporting genres, 7: Poetry
Miles Franklin Award 2022 winner announced
While once again I haven't read (yet, anyhow) any of the Miles Franklin shortlist, I do try each year to announce the winner of this significant Australian literary award. You may remember that this year's shortlist was: Michael Mohammed Ahmed’s The other half of youMichelle de Kretser’s Scary monsters (Lisa’s review)Jennifer Down’s Bodies of light Alice Pung’s One hundred days (kimbofo’s review)Michael … Continue reading Miles Franklin Award 2022 winner announced
Miles Franklin Award 2022 shortlist
I didn't post this year's longlist when it came out last month, and if any of you have been following the award you will know that controversy has, once again, hit it, with one of the longlisted books, John Hughes' The dogs, being withdrawn on the grounds of plagiarism. That's a shame for me, as … Continue reading Miles Franklin Award 2022 shortlist
Whispering Gums 