Every year I get on here at this time of year and say: 'Holy shit, it's been a big year...' I'm a bit bored of it, but, well, in 2019 my novel A Superior Spectre was published in the UK and was shortlisted for a bunch of awards, and I went over to the Edinburgh International … Continue reading Reading (and dreaming) highlights of 2019
Commentary
Festivals, events, performances, awards, travel, news…
Books I read in 2017
I feel so inadequate, really. It's not the number I would have liked, and honestly I think I bought more books than I read – so at least I am supporting the industry! But... I have a great excuse. I make books. In 2018, at this stage, 16 books I have acquired or co-acquired are … Continue reading Books I read in 2017
What the wow
UPDATE: Published this then realised my blog turned EIGHT yesterday! I spent half the day in my pyjamas and wrote 1181 words which just tipped my WEIRD Scottish manuscript over 50,000 (rough) words. Last night I saw Jack Ladder & the Dreamlanders and it rocked; I danced with a whisky in my hands and Jen … Continue reading What the wow
Spark, flow, sigh: the erotics of body & mind on Killings
Recently, as we sat around having a few drinks after a book launch, the poet Jennifer Compton asked the question, ‘Do you find writing to be an erotic act?’. My instinctive answer was ‘yes’, but I’ve been thinking about it ever since. How did I interpret the question? And why was my answer so sure?Find … Continue reading Spark, flow, sigh: the erotics of body & mind on Killings
Highbrow v Lowbrow: Kill Your Darlings/Digital Writers Festival
In which I defend highbrow lit-ra-cha!
Projects and publications, plus an opportunity for online writers
It's been a while since I updated, so I'll shove it all in one post. First of all, Happy New Year! 2014 was an incredible year for me, though it started out rocky (I was unemployed for about two months). The highlights were finishing my doctorate, publishing Captives, and having a story included in Best Australian Stories 2014. … Continue reading Projects and publications, plus an opportunity for online writers
Flash fiction is like a good dram
Cross-posted from the SA Writers' Centre blog. I wrote this post ahead of my flash fiction workshop at the SA Writers' Centre in Adelaide (this weekend: 22 June, book here). I also have workshops coming up at Writers Victoria (see also my interview), the Tasmanian Writers' Centre, and at Byron Bay Writers' Fest! On my desktop … Continue reading Flash fiction is like a good dram
LiteraryMinded is seven; Captives is born; writing-work balance
I missed my blog's birthday. For the first time. You can imagine why. Something else I've written has just been released, my tiny book of short fictions, Captives. Actually, there's more to it than that. I haven't felt like I've had a proper chance to let publication wash over me, that now when I say to … Continue reading LiteraryMinded is seven; Captives is born; writing-work balance
Chairing panels and interviewing authors on stage: a few things I’ve learnt
* Please find the 2018 update of this post here. It’s been five years since I first wrote a piece like this, and after seeing the topic come up in an author’s Facebook thread, I figured it was time for an update. I’m sharing what I’ve learnt about chairing and interviewing authors on stage, particularly … Continue reading Chairing panels and interviewing authors on stage: a few things I’ve learnt
Light the Dark: Perth vigil for Reza Berati and asylum seekers
After a stimulating Perth Writers Festival I joined writers Thomas Keneally, Rosie Scott, Debra Adelaide, Linda Jaivin, David Marr, Antony Loewenstein, and publisher Terri-Ann White at the Perth candlelight vigil for Reza Berati, the young Iranian asylum seeker who was tragically killed on Manus Island. It was an understandably emotional event, as I'm sure were … Continue reading Light the Dark: Perth vigil for Reza Berati and asylum seekers
