... and now we have a winner! Those of you who have been following the tournament will know that the two books facing off in the Finale were Helen Garner's The children's Bach and Joan London's Gilgamesh. I would not have guessed this at the beginning (and neither, they say, did the organisers). Not because these … Continue reading Meanjin’s Tournament of Books 2011, Finale
Tournament of Books
Meanjin’s Tournament of Books 2011, Zombie Rounds
Just one round of Meanjin's tournament of books to go ... after this one, that is. The Zombie round comprises the winners of Semifinals 1 and 2 being pitted against the books returned to the fray by reader vote in the Zombie poll (on which I reported at the end of the Semifinals post). Zombie Round … Continue reading Meanjin’s Tournament of Books 2011, Zombie Rounds
Monday Musings on Australian Literature: Pondering Meanjin’s Tournament
My recent post on the semifinals of Meanjin's Tournament of Books engendered some comments on the value or validity of the tournament itself - so I thought, having dedicated myself to reporting on the tournament, I should comment on what I think about it as an event. I'll start by saying that I don't take literary competitions … Continue reading Monday Musings on Australian Literature: Pondering Meanjin’s Tournament
Meanjin’s Tournament of Books 2011, Semi-finals
So now we are getting to the business end of Meanjin's tournament of books ... and it's getting exciting. Since I've been posting a little more frequently lately, I'll keep this one short and, hopefully, sweet ... after all, there's still more to come. Semifinal 1: Joan London's Gilgamesh defeated Kate Grenville's The secret river … Continue reading Meanjin’s Tournament of Books 2011, Semi-finals
Meanjin’s Tournament of Books 2011, Round 2
For those interested in the continuing story of Meanjin's Tournament of Books, which I introduced in late October, Round 2 has now been played. Here are the results ... with a little additional commentary by me. Match 1, Joan London's Gilgamesh defeated Helen Garner's The children's Bach Oh, such a hard one. I feel for judge Michaela McGuire, a self-0uted Helen … Continue reading Meanjin’s Tournament of Books 2011, Round 2
Monday musings on Australian literature: Meanjin’s Tournament of Books
Many Monday musings ago I wrote about the reduced visibility of women writers in Australia. I wasn't the only one concerned and things have been afoot to up the ante for women writers. For example, a new award targeting women writers, the Stella Prize, was announced earlier this year. And now Meanjin, a longstanding literary … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Meanjin’s Tournament of Books
Whispering Gums 