I only managed one session a day at the SWF's live-streaming program at the National Library of Australia, and on day 2, I picked a doozy! It was such fun, I forgot to take a pic! Annabel Crabb's BooKwiz, Saturday 5 May, 4.30pm Panel: Leigh Sales, Richard Fidler, Julia Zemiro, Tim Minchin, Annabel Crabb (MC) Of … Continue reading Sydney Writers Festival 2018, Live-streaming (Session 2)
Sydney Writers Festival 2018, Live-streaming (Session 1)
May is such a busy month for birthdays and anniversaries in the Gums world that I hardly ever get to the Sydney Writers Festival, even though it is not much more than 3 hours drive away. I was consequently thrilled to discover that this year the National Library of Australia, Canberra, would be one of … Continue reading Sydney Writers Festival 2018, Live-streaming (Session 1)
Six degrees of separation, FROM The Poisonwood Bible TO …
May is the last month of autumn for us in the Southern hemisphere, and what an autumn it's been. So warm. I shouldn't be pleased, however, because the cause is worrying ... so, let's get on to something uncontroversial and non-worrying - our Six Degrees of Separation meme. It's currently hosted by Kate (booksaremyfavouriteandbest). Please … Continue reading Six degrees of separation, FROM The Poisonwood Bible TO …
Helen Garner, The last days of chez nous, and Two friends (#BookReview)
Helen Garner must have loved prize-winning book designer WH Chong's cheeky cypress-dominated cover for the Text Classics edition of her two screenplays, The last days of chez nous and Two friends. You'd only realise this, though, after reading her Preface, in which she explains that she had incorporated cypresses into her screenplay for their "freight of … Continue reading Helen Garner, The last days of chez nous, and Two friends (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Aussie books I read in 1998
And now for something completely different for Monday Musings, a post about books I read a long time ago! It was inspired by the Canadian-based Debbie of ExUrbanis who has a series of posts on her blog on what she read in the past. I figured 1998 would be a good place to start - because … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Aussie books I read in 1998
Glenda Guest, A week in the life of Cassandra Aberline (#BookReview)
West Australian author Glenda Guest made quite a splash with her first novel, Siddon Rock, though unfortunately I didn't read it. It won, for example, the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book in 2010. I was very keen, therefore, to read her second novel, A week in the life of Cassandra Aberline, when the … Continue reading Glenda Guest, A week in the life of Cassandra Aberline (#BookReview)
Robyn Cadwallader in conversation with Catherine Milne
It's some time since I last attended an author event, not because there haven't been any but because they've clashed with other commitments. I mean, why do organisations choose the same day of the week for events, like, say, Thursdays? Why don't they get together and agree to share them across all the week days? … Continue reading Robyn Cadwallader in conversation with Catherine Milne
Monday musings on Australian literature: Unfinished books
Regular readers here will recognise that this post was inspired by my recent posts on Jane Austen's unfinished novels, The Watsons and Sanditon. They made me think more generally about unfinished novels, and who is interested in them. I thought it might be fun to write about this, referencing Australian literature. But first, lest this … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Unfinished books
Jane Austen, Sanditon (Unfinished) (#Review)
I first read Jane Austen's unfinished novel, Sanditon, in the early 1970s, when I was deep into my love of Austen and had to read everything she wrote. This meant reading her two unfinished novels (the other being The Watsons which I've written about here twice before) and her Juvenilia, parts of which I've also … Continue reading Jane Austen, Sanditon (Unfinished) (#Review)
Kate Chopin, Her letters (#Review)
There are a few American authors who, when they pop up as a Library of America (LOA) Story of the Week, I try to read. These include Edith Wharton, Willa Cather and Kate Chopin. I don't always manage to read them, but I have read the latest Kate Chopin story they've published, "Her letters". And my, … Continue reading Kate Chopin, Her letters (#Review)
Whispering Gums 