Wow, it's been a year since my last literary week post. How did that happen? I have had many literary weeks since then - haha - including a few that I even thought writing about, but each time something got in the way. This time, though, I'm not letting it ... Family values ... I … Continue reading My literary week (16), values and truth
Monday musings on Australian literature: Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature
Hands up if you are familiar with the Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature and know who won its major categories this year? I may be out of touch, but it seems to me that these awards (about which I've written a couple of times before) are less well-known than some of their other state-based counterparts … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature
Six degrees of separation, FROM Wolfe Island TO …
It's March, so soon? Oh well, at least we have another Six Degrees of Separation to look forward to. As always, for those of you who don't know this meme and how it works, please check out meme host Kate's blog - booksaremyfavouriteandbest. Once again, but I'm used to this now, I haven't read Kate's starting book, Wolfe Island … Continue reading Six degrees of separation, FROM Wolfe Island TO …
Stella Prize 2020 Shortlist announced
Well, lookee here, the Stella Prize shortlist was announced this morning while I was at Tai Chi so I am just getting to it now. And, I am rather pleased because, although I've only read one of the six, I am currently reading another, and have a third on my reading group schedule, so that's … Continue reading Stella Prize 2020 Shortlist announced
David Carlin and Francesca Rendle-Short (eds), The near and the far: More stories from the Asia-Pacific region, Vol. 2 (#BookReview)
This anthology, like the first The near and the far volume, stems from a project called WrICE (Writers Immersion and Cultural Exchange), an intercultural and intergenerational program which "brings together Australian and Asia-Pacific writers for face-to-face collaborative residencies in Asia and Australia". The most recent residencies have been in Indonesia (2018), The Philippines (2017) and China (2016). The … Continue reading David Carlin and Francesca Rendle-Short (eds), The near and the far: More stories from the Asia-Pacific region, Vol. 2 (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: The Guardian Australia’s Unmissables
Although I'd seen it before, it was BookJotter Paula's latest Winding Up the Week (#110) post that reminded me of The Guardian Australia's Unmissables series. Initiated last March, Unmissables aims to highlight 12 new releases they deem "significant". Before I share the books highlighted to date, though, I'd like to talk about the project's funding because, … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: The Guardian Australia’s Unmissables
Author event: Heidi Sze on her book Nurturing your new life
A book primarily intended for postpartum mothers is not really the sort of book Whispering Gums' readers would expect to see here, but let me explain. Melbourne-based Heidi Sze started her food blog, Apples Under My Bed, the same year I started mine. However, that's not our link. Rather, it's that later that year, Daughter … Continue reading Author event: Heidi Sze on her book Nurturing your new life
Carmel Bird, Field of poppies (#BookReview)
There are some writers whose personalities shine through so strongly that I have taken to characterising them in just a word or two. Jane Austen, for example, I think of as wickedly witty, and Helen Garner as heartbreakingly honest. Carmel Bird is another of these. I describe her as seriously cheeky, by which I don't … Continue reading Carmel Bird, Field of poppies (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Recovering Australia’s Indigenous languages
In my recent Delicious Descriptions post on Madelaine Dickie's Red can origami, I referred to last year's UN International Year of Indigenous Languages. It occurred to me that while I've referred to Indigenous Australian languages several times in this blog, I've never specifically posted about them. Now seemed a good time, particularly given interest the year generated. … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Recovering Australia’s Indigenous languages
Delicious descriptions: Madelaine Dickie on Indigenous language and Uranium
My recent post on Madelaine Dickie's Red can origami was getting too long - and I just couldn't cover in detail all that I wanted to, so I've decided to do one of my rare Delicious Descriptions posts to expand some ideas from the book. Concluding my post, I commented that the novel is an … Continue reading Delicious descriptions: Madelaine Dickie on Indigenous language and Uranium
Whispering Gums 