Whispering Gums

Books, reading and more … with an Australian focus … written on Ngunnawal Country

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Canadian writers

Every folkie knows … Leonard Cohen

May 27, 2011May 27, 2011 / Whispering Gums / 6 Comments

I recently wrote about the National Folk Festival in relation to Australian stories and history, but I can't resist also writing a little post about "the man" because he was, it seemed, everywhere. I'm exaggerating of course but he - Leonard Cohen, of course - did seem to keep popping up. There were performers who … Continue reading Every folkie knows … Leonard Cohen

Margaret Atwood, The Penelopiad

June 25, 2010April 26, 2025 / Whispering Gums / 23 Comments

This is the second time I have read Margaret Atwood's The Penelopiad. Much as I enjoyed it the first time around, I probably wouldn't have read it again if it hadn't been scheduled for one of my online bookgroups. However, given that scheduling and the fact that I had recently listened to Simon Armitage's dramatisation … Continue reading Margaret Atwood, The Penelopiad

Alice Munro, Dimension

June 23, 2009June 6, 2026 / Whispering Gums / 2 Comments

Alice Munro won this year's Man Booker International Prize. You probably know that she is a Canadian short story writer. I have read many of her short stories over the years, though not as many as I would like. WARNING: SOME SPOILERS! Her short story "Dimension" was published in the New Yorker in 2006, and … Continue reading Alice Munro, Dimension

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Recent Whisperings

  • Lee Lai, Cannon (#BookReview)
  • Monday musing on Australian literature: on People’s Choice literary awards
  • Merlinda Bobis, In the name of the trees (#BookReview)
  • Monday musings on Australian literature: ConSYDeration, and some poetry
  • Darren Rix and Craig Cormick, Warra Warra Wai

Latest comments

  1. Rach's avatar
    Rach on Lee Lai, Cannon (#BookReview)August 28, 2026

    Lovely review Sue, it sounds like such a good story! I got notified last week that my request for this…

  2. Grab the Lapels's avatar
    Grab the Lapels on Monday musing on Australian literature: on People’s Choice literary awardsAugust 28, 2026

    I do think readers who buy the book have the last laugh unless it's one of those books people buy…

  3. Grab the Lapels's avatar
    Grab the Lapels on Lee Lai, Cannon (#BookReview)August 28, 2026

    Silly me! I didn't even think about the book not being set in 2025. You're totally right.

  4. Whispering Gums's avatar
    Whispering Gums on Monday musing on Australian literature: on People’s Choice literary awardsAugust 28, 2026

    Thanks Melanie … I loved your “that’s a bit uppity” comment because I think we know each other well enough…

  5. Grab the Lapels's avatar
    Grab the Lapels on Monday musing on Australian literature: on People’s Choice literary awardsAugust 28, 2026

    I honestly don't think you're snooty. 🤭 You're always very kind! I remember when I was in college circa 2003…

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Recently Popular Whisperings

  • Elizabeth Strout, Olive Kitteridge (#BookReview)
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  • Reading highlights for 2017

Australian Literary Awards for (mostly) Fiction, 2026


The Age Book of the Year: Moreno Giovannoni, The immigrants
ALS Gold Medal:
Australian Book Industry Award (Literary Fiction): Charlotte McConaghy, Wild dark shore
Barbara Jefferis Award:
Indie Book Awards (Fiction): Charlotte McConaghy, Wild dark shore
Miles Franklin Award: Omar Musa, Fierceland
NSW Premier's Literary Award (Christina Stead Prize): Moreno Giovannoni, The immigrants
Patrick White Award:
Prime Minister's Literary Award:
Queensland Literary (Fiction) Award:
South Australian Literary Awards:
Stella Prize: Lee Lai, Cannon
Victorian Premier's Literary (Fiction) Award: Omar Musa, Fierceland
Western Australian Premier's Book of the Year Award:

Acknowledgement of Country

I acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional custodians of the nation in which I live, of land that was never ceded. I honour and respect their cultural heritage, customs and beliefs, and am truly thankful for their ongoing care of this country.

Copyright on my content

This work by Whispering Gums is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 DEED Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareALike 4.0 International

Copyright on images used in this blog

I am careful about the images I use in this blog. Some of them are my own, some I've specifically obtained permission to use from an owner, and some book cover thumbnails are used under fair use provisions. However, I have used others under Creative Commons (and similar licences) when the owners have indicated on their sites/pages that they release their material under such licences. Where possible, I have tried to properly attribute the owners/creators of uploaded images. If you think I have breached your copyright in any way please let me know. Any photos not attributed to others or to public domain are mine. Unless otherwise specified, you are welcome to use them under the Creative Commons license described under Copyright on my content above.

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