Funny sometimes how Monday Musings topics suddenly appear to me. I was researching for a future post, when I came across a site called Reading for Reconciliation - and couldn't go past it for today's post. However, the site's Home Page needs a bit of unpicking. It has a heading, "Finalists in 2012 Queensland Reconciliation Awards", … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Reading for Reconciliation
EM Forster, Howards End (#BookReview)
Where to start? Like all great classics, EM Forster's Howards End has so much to think and write about that it's difficult to know where to focus, not to mention what new angle I could possibly add. Perhaps I'll just start at the beginning - with its epigraph, "only connect..." That's a concept that's sure … Continue reading EM Forster, Howards End (#BookReview)
Six degrees of separation, FROM Vanity fair TO …
Well, it's a tricky night here in Canberra, with a nasty bushfire on my side of town. It's probably far enough away to not put us at serious risk, but a serious fire just two-thirds into spring is a worry. For now, though, I shall put those thoughts aside and turn to Six Degrees. As … Continue reading Six degrees of separation, FROM Vanity fair TO …
Elizabeth Kleinhenz in conversation with Chris Wallace – about Germaine Greer
It made for a busy night, given that the last Tuesday of the month is also my reading group night, but I had to go to this ANU Meet the Author event, because it involved Canberra academic/journalist (not to mention Germaine Greer biographer) Chris Wallace conversing with Elizabeth Kleinhenz, whose biography, Germaine: The life of Germaine … Continue reading Elizabeth Kleinhenz in conversation with Chris Wallace – about Germaine Greer
Monday musings on Australian literature: And now it’s booktubers
Well, actually, it's not quite "and now" because booktubers have been around for a while - apparently. Or, so I read in an article, sent to me by occasional commenter here Neil. (Thanks Neil.) The article is from ABC RN's The Hub program: it contains a link to the segment on the radio program, as … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: And now it’s booktubers
Delicious descriptions: EM Forster and downsizing
My reading group's next book is EM Forster's Howard's end which I first read at university in 1973. (My lovely Penguin Modern Classics edition cost me all of $1.20.) It's a delicious read and I'm falling in love with Forster all over again. My full post on it will go up some time next week, … Continue reading Delicious descriptions: EM Forster and downsizing
Amanda Duthie (ed.), Margaret & David: 5 stars (#BookReview)
Margaret and David, the subjects of this delightful, eponymously named collection of reminiscences and essays, do not need last names here in Australia. They are just "margaretanddavid". But, since we have an international readership here, I should formally introduce them. Margaret and David are Margaret Pomeranz and David Stratton, Australia's best-known and best-loved film critics … Continue reading Amanda Duthie (ed.), Margaret & David: 5 stars (#BookReview)
Queensland Literary Awards 2018 winners announced
Hot off tonight's twitter feed are this year's winners of the Queensland Literary Awards. They combine specific state awards and awards for which all Australian writers are eligible. Here is the whole suite of winners in the order they were announced: Queensland Premier’s Award for a work of State Significance: Jackie Ryan's Expo 88 Young Publishers … Continue reading Queensland Literary Awards 2018 winners announced
Monday musings on Australian literature: Memorable homes in Aussie novels
"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again" is a novel opener that many of us will recognise, I'm sure. It comes, of course, from Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca. For some reason it popped into my head recently, and it got me thinking, not about first lines, but about famous fictional houses - and … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Memorable homes in Aussie novels
Nadia Wheatley, Her mother’s daughter: A memoir (#BookReview)
In Her mother's daughter: A memoir, Australian writer Nadia Wheatley has written the sort of hybrid biography-memoir that I've reviewed a few times in this blog. All of them, as I mentioned in my recent Meet the Author post, have been mother-daughter stories, Susan Varga’s Heddy and me, Anna Rosner Blay’s Sister, sister, and Halina Rubin’s … Continue reading Nadia Wheatley, Her mother’s daughter: A memoir (#BookReview)
