I had planned another post for this week, but that can wait, as Lisa (ANZLitLovers) has reminded me that it is Refugee Week, and I thought that should take priority. Lisa has posted on a book relevant to the week, and includes in her post a link to a reading list of books she provided … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Refugee literature
Favourite quotes: from Marion Halligan’s Fog Garden
Some time ago, I started a little ad hoc Favourite Quotes series but I haven't added to it for some time. This post, I actually drafted back then, but never got around to completely it, but I will now! One of my favourite Australian writers, though I've only reviewed one of her recent books on my … Continue reading Favourite quotes: from Marion Halligan’s Fog Garden
Miles Franklin Award 2021 shortlist
I haven't posted on the Miles Franklin Award since 2019, and I didn't post this year's longlist when it came out last month, but, despite my woeful record - I've yet to read any on the longlist - I felt it was about time I returned to Australia's best known literary award. Unfortunately, I was … Continue reading Miles Franklin Award 2021 shortlist
Monday musings on Australian literature: Return of The Age Book of the Year
Early in my retirement, I spent quite a bit of time creating and editing articles on Australian literature in Wikipedia. I focused on a couple of subject areas in particular, Australian women writers and Australian literary awards. One of the awards I worked on was the well-regarded The Age Book of the Year Awards. They … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Return of The Age Book of the Year
George Orwell, My country right or left (#Review)
Having recently posted on the fourth essay, "The prevention of literature", in my book of George Orwell essays, I've decided to plough on and try to finish it. The next essay is the short, cleverly titled, "My country right or left". It was first published in Autumn 1940 in Folios of new writing. It's a … Continue reading George Orwell, My country right or left (#Review)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Reading and publishing, pandemic-wise
In his 1946 essay, "The prevention of literature", George Orwell named "the unwillingness of the public to spend money on books" as one of the threats to literature. I commented in my post that I didn't know how that stood now in England, but that I thought Australians were currently buying books. The week's Monday … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Reading and publishing, pandemic-wise
Six degrees of separation, FROM The bass rock TO …
It's June downunder - well, I suppose it's June everywhere! - but here, downunder, June also means winter, so, wah! Oh well, the sooner it starts, the sooner it's over! And, while we are suffering it, we can aways enjoy fun blogging things like our Six Degrees of Separation meme. If you don't know how … Continue reading Six degrees of separation, FROM The bass rock TO …
George Orwell, The prevention of literature (#Review)
One of the reasons a work becomes a classic is its timelessness, its continued relevance to each period in which it is read. This is certainly why many of George Orwell's works are seen as classics. Scarily, there is nothing more relevant now than his writing on the impact of totalitarianism - of which his … Continue reading George Orwell, The prevention of literature (#Review)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Memorable Australian fictional families
A bit of a fun post this week that I hope will engage you, regardless of where you live or what you read. This post is a sort of companion to one I wrote back in 2017 on Memorable Australian characters. I've had this post in mind ever since then, but have kept putting it … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Memorable Australian fictional families
Delia Owens, Where the crawdads sing (#BookReview)
Delia Owens' bestselling debut novel, Where the crawdads sing, is a problematical novel, as my reading group discovered - and yet, I couldn't help being emotionally engaged. It reminded me a little of a childhood favourite, Gene Stratton Porter's A girl of the Limberlost. My heart went out to Owen's protagonist, Kya, the maligned, ignored, … Continue reading Delia Owens, Where the crawdads sing (#BookReview)
Whispering Gums 