I planned to write a combined post for my last two events of Day 1, given both focussed on Indigenous Australians, but there was so much that I wanted to document (for myself, at least) that I decided to devote a post to each. There was, though, some overlap in terms of issues discussed, albeit … Continue reading Canberra Writers Festival 2018, Day 1, Pt 3: Indigenous Australians (1)
Canberra Writers Festival 2018, Day 1, Pt 2: Two panels
My next two festival sessions were panels - firstly at the National Museum of Australia, and then after a quick jaunt over the lake, chauffeured very kindly by Mr Gums, at the National Library of Australia. This Festival is spread too widely, geographically speaking - but I've said that before ... The power, politics and … Continue reading Canberra Writers Festival 2018, Day 1, Pt 2: Two panels
Canberra Writers Festival 2018, Day 1, Pt 1: A memoirist in conversation
It's the last weekend August which means it's the Canberra Writers Festival. This could become a habit. Wouldn't that be nice - to have a regular writers' festival here again, I mean. The Festival's ongoing theme is Power, Politics, Passion, which is particularly appropriate this year, given last week's shenanigans in Australian politics. (For those of you from … Continue reading Canberra Writers Festival 2018, Day 1, Pt 1: A memoirist in conversation
Jenny Ackland, Little gods (#BookReview)
The universe is telling me something. Jenny Ackland's Little gods is the second novel I've read in a few months that is set in the Mallee region of northwestern Victoria, the other being Charlie Archbold's Mallee boys (my review). Interestingly, both are coming-of-age novels, both involve farms, and both have a death at the centre. … Continue reading Jenny Ackland, Little gods (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Women science fiction writers
This year's National Science Week finished yesterday, 19 August, but I figured no-one would mind if I wrote a Science-Week-dedicated post a day late. In past years I've written Science Week posts on novels about scientists (2015), science-based non-fiction (2015), and science writing (2016). I didn't write a post last year. So, what to do … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Women science fiction writers
The Griffyns inspire us in Science Week
It's been two years since I last wrote about the Griffyn Ensemble. In that post I reported that they were not returning with their usual season in 2017. Wah, I wrote. They did, in fact, perform in 2017 - presenting a special Music Festival - but I didn't write that up, because I was unwell and barely … Continue reading The Griffyns inspire us in Science Week
Tania McCartney and Christina Booth, The Gum Family finds home (#BookReview)
As many of you know, I recently became a grandmother - and if you know anything about becoming a grandparent you'll know that THE critical question is "what are you going to be called?" Well, I would like to be called Gummie - the name given me here by one of my favourite bloggers Guy … Continue reading Tania McCartney and Christina Booth, The Gum Family finds home (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: War-time reading tastes, World War 2
Continuing last week's brief survey of war-time reading habits... World War 2 And then we come to the Second World War. Here's The West Australian again, this time in July 1940, less than a year after the war had started (a bit like our 1915 World War 1 report last week.) The article is headed, … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: War-time reading tastes, World War 2
My literary week (13), it’s (mostly) all about Aussies
This last week or so we've been on the road again, severely cutting into my reading time, but literary things have been happening, nonetheless. National Bookshop Day, 2018 Yesterday, August 10th, was, as many of you know, National Bookshop Day and I did, in fact, visit a bookshop, Readings in Carlton, Melbourne. I bought Gerald … Continue reading My literary week (13), it’s (mostly) all about Aussies
Canberra Writers Festival and the Griffith Review 60: First things first
Yesterday (9 August) was, as you probably know, the UN's International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. I had planned to get this post completed by then, but, being on the road (again), it didn't happen. I don't think that matters a lot, though, as we should be caring about Indigenous Peoples every day until the … Continue reading Canberra Writers Festival and the Griffith Review 60: First things first
Whispering Gums 