How to title today's post was my first challenge - and I hope the title I settled on covers it well enough. What I am wanting to cover here are those awards that don't go to books (or manuscripts) or writers, but to those in the industry - people and organisations - that support writers … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Book industry awards
Bookselling
What would you recommend?
Last week, Mr Gums and I drove back from Melbourne where we had spent the holiday season with family. Having spent over two weeks in the city - very lovely because we saw family - I did want a little country respite before hitting our own (much smaller, admittedly) city. Bright, in Victoria's Alpine Shire … Continue reading What would you recommend?
Monday musings on Australian literature: Bookswapping
Last week I wrote a Monday Musings about bookselling for/by charities. As I was writing it, I realised that there was another way of acquiring books that is worth writing about - book swap arrangements. Not surprisingly, it came up in comments on that post, so is clearly something of interest to many readers. It's … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Bookswapping
Monday musings on Australian literature: Bookselling for charity
Last week I wrote a Monday Musings about the current, relatively positive, state of play for bookshops in Australia. Responding to that post on Facebook, one of my longstanding friends, and an original member of my bookgroup, reminded me of the Lifeline Bookfair which is held regularly in Canberra, and to which I have donated … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Bookselling for charity
Monday musings on Australian literature: Bookshops, 2017
It's been sometime since I've talked about bookshops. I missed this year's National Bookshop Day (now called Love Your Bookshop Day). However, I have been thinking about bookshops. After a flurry of closures, particularly of bookshop chains, in our town, things seem to have settled down. My local mall, in fact, went from losing its … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Bookshops, 2017
Monday musings on Australian literature: Changing literary tastes (1)
Research can send you off on all sorts of tangents - particularly if don't have to be focused. What fascinating things you can find when you go with the flow (in the wonderful Trove)! It started with my recent post on Currawong Press, which, somewhat serendipitously, led to a post on books published in The Australian Women's … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Changing literary tastes (1)
Not the Usual Monday Musings
Just for a change - and because I couldn't resist it - I'm sharing an ad from ABE Books for a first edition 3-volume set of Jane Austen's Sense and sensibility, which was first published in 1811. In case you are interested, the inventory number for the book is #ABE-11685473745. I'm going to quote the … Continue reading Not the Usual Monday Musings
On the literary road, in Ontario
I'm back from my North American trip and, as you can tell, didn't find much time to post while I was there. It was a packed three and a half weeks, catching up with our daughter, sightseeing, and meeting people, many of whom I'd got to know via online reading groups. I didn't find much … Continue reading On the literary road, in Ontario
Monday musings on Australian literature: Top Aussie book sales in 2013
This is, I suppose, another end of year round-up post - but one about bookselling in Australia, which is something I don't usually write much about. However, since many of us love lists, I thought I'd share with you Australia's top selling books for 2103: Jeff Kinney: Hard luck: Diary of a wimpy kid (UK, … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Top Aussie book sales in 2013
Monday musings on Australian literature: Translated fiction, Australian-style
Having just read and reviewed Linda Jaivin's Quarterly essay, Lost in translation: In praise of a plural world, I thought I'd research the state of translated fiction in Australia. Jaivin doesn't spend a lot of time of this particular issue, but in her concluding plea she says: Publishers need to consider how to prise open … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Translated fiction, Australian-style
Whispering Gums 