So I was Highly Commended for the second year in a row in the Qantas Spirit of Youth Awards. Lovely. A couple of Sydney Writers' Fest posts are coming soon (after and if ever I get through my current workload). It was an amazing festival. And I get to talk to Tara Moss this Thursday … Continue reading SOYA + update
Commentary
Stella, and a digression on envy, work, inadequacy
The Stella Prize 2013, the inaugural prize, was awarded last week to Carrie Tiffany, for Mateship with Birds, which you know I enjoyed very much (here's my Big Issue interview with Carrie from last year). She very generously donated $10,000 of the prize money back to the shortlist, noting that it was a selfish act because it gave … Continue reading Stella, and a digression on envy, work, inadequacy
Sydney Writers’ Festival 2013
The Sydney Writers' Festival 2013 program has been announced! The line up is rockin': from Norwegian literary superstar Karl Ove Knausgaard, to actor/author Molly Ringwald, critic James Wood, Tash Aw, Cheryl Strayed, Claire Messud, Diego Marani (to mention a few internationals) and of course a HUGE amount of amazing Aussie authors/poets/journos/critics! Jemma Birrell and her … Continue reading Sydney Writers’ Festival 2013
Qantas SOYA Written Word: my last chance…
It's my last chance to enter the Qantas Spirit of Youth Awards as next year I turn 30 (and if I've read correctly, you can't enter in the year you turn 30, even though my birthday will be after the comp ends). I won't be a 'yoof' anymore... You might remember that I was Highly … Continue reading Qantas SOYA Written Word: my last chance…
Enter the zone! The Carmel Bird Short Fiction Award 2013
I'm very, very excited to announce that this year I am judging the Carmel Bird Short Fiction Award for Spineless Wonders. The winner and shortlisted stories will be considered for publication in the Spineless Wonders annual anthology, which I have already been putting together, and trust me, you want to be published alongside these writers! … Continue reading Enter the zone! The Carmel Bird Short Fiction Award 2013
Explaining myself and my many hats
I was recently asked to write a blog post for Collaboration, the blog of the Book Industry Collaborative Council (BICC), explaining what I do and how I came to be involved in so many different facets of the book industry. It took me a while, as it felt strange to 'explain myself'! If you are curious … Continue reading Explaining myself and my many hats
Wild thing
The fourth wild thing stomps onto the stage. His face is seared from coming a little too close to life and the people who, as he tells us, say he drinks too much and laughs too loud. He abandons the microphone, shouting out into the darkness. He’s had periods of howling into the night in … Continue reading Wild thing
2012: cut, print, that’s a wrap & see you in February
2012 has been a crap year in some respects; a year of rejections, near misses and setbacks. There has been injury and some sickness. There has been grief. At times it has been hard to stay optimistic. I've also, at times, found it very hard to have faith in myself and my work. There's been … Continue reading 2012: cut, print, that’s a wrap & see you in February
You’re all winners
Halstead Press and Irma Gold are very kindly giving away copies of The Invisible Thread to every one of you (within Australia) who commented on that last post. Congratulations! I'll be contacting you shortly for your addresses.
Irma Gold on The Invisible Thread + WIN a copy
The Invisible Thread: One Hundred Years of Words is a new anthology featuring writers connected to Canberra, covering the past 100 years. There are stories, articles, poems and extracts by Judith Wright, Alex Miller, Jackie French, Les Murray, Omar Musa, Don Watson, Garth Nix, Kate Grenville and a huge range of writers new and old. The … Continue reading Irma Gold on The Invisible Thread + WIN a copy
LiteraryMinded 