I have posted on World Poetry Day, which occurs in March, several times in recent years. And I have written about Australian poetry various times, including about the Red Room Company (or, Red Room Poetry). Their vision is very simple: "to make poetry in meaningful ways". They have initiated and supported various projects over the … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Poetry Month 2021
Six degrees of separation, FROM Postcards from the edge TO …
I love August. It's still winter but we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and when I say "light" I mean it literally as suddenly, it seems, we start to see the lengthening days. We also know that the first spring blossoms are about to give us joy. These are pluses … Continue reading Six degrees of separation, FROM Postcards from the edge TO …
Queensland Literary Awards 2021 shortlist announced
I haven't reported often on these awards, but they are an example of the literary world's faith in the value of awards, as any of you who remember their history will know. They are an interesting set of awards because they combine specific state awards and awards for which all Australian writers are eligible. And … Continue reading Queensland Literary Awards 2021 shortlist announced
Monday musings on Australian literature: Miles Franklin Award, the fourth decade (1988-1997)
Miles Franklin, c. 1940s (Presume Public Domain, via Wikipedia) This is my fourth post in a little sub-series looking at the Miles Franklin Award by decade. As with the first three, written back in 2016, I don't plan to list all the decade's winners, as you can find them on the Award's official site. Instead, I'll share some interesting snippets, inspired … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Miles Franklin Award, the fourth decade (1988-1997)
The Age Book of the Year 2021 shortlist announced
A few weeks ago, I wrote a Monday Musings on the revival of The Age Book of the Year award. Back then, there was no information about when the shortlist would be announced. Suddenly, however, with no fanfare, it was announced yesterday afternoon - at least that's when the announcement I saw was posted. The … Continue reading The Age Book of the Year 2021 shortlist announced
Nardi Simpson, Song of the crocodile (#BookReview)
Nardi Simpson's Song of the crocodile is a tight multi-generational saga set in the fictional town of Darnmoor over the last decades of the twentieth century. It tells the story of the people of the Campgrounds, who are ostracised, exploited and abused by the white townspeople. Between the Campgrounds and the town proper, with its … Continue reading Nardi Simpson, Song of the crocodile (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian Literature: Stilettos and Sponsors
Has that got your attention? If it has, I'm sorry if you think I'm going to talk about high society fund-raising parties. I'm afraid it's a bit more mundane than that ... but interesting I hope. The Stilettos I have in fact written about the Stilettos before, the Scarlet Stiletto Awards to be exact. To … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian Literature: Stilettos and Sponsors
Emma Ashmere, Dreams they forgot (#BookReview)
Emma Ashmere's short story collection, Dreams they forgot, is different again from recent short story collections I've read. Certainly very different from the most recent, Adam Thompson's Born into this (my review). One of the things that makes it different is its breadth in terms of time and place. Thompson's collection, for example, is mostly … Continue reading Emma Ashmere, Dreams they forgot (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Defining the novel, in 1975?
During one of my forays into Trove, I came across an intriguing little piece by Canberra artist-educator-reviewer, Malcolm Pettigrove. Pettigrove was a regular arts reviewer in The Canberra Times through the 1970s and 1980s, but it was his article published on 31 January 1975 that particularly caught my attention. It starts: NO issue in the … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Defining the novel, in 1975?
Jonathan Shaw, None of us alone (#BookReview)
Some of you will know of Jonathan Shaw as the blogger at Me fail? I fly! If you read his blog, you will also know that he loves poetry: he writes it, he reviews it. None of us alone is his first commercially published collection, though he has self-published five collections and has had a … Continue reading Jonathan Shaw, None of us alone (#BookReview)
Whispering Gums 