Last night, author Jon Bauer (Rocks in the Belly, Scribe) launched the sixth Sleepers Almanac and the new Sleepers literary app at the Bella Union Bar, Trades Hall, Melbourne. I thought his speech was wonderful, so with Jon's kind permission, here it is for you all to read: Have you ever had that moment on a … Continue reading ‘What is a short story?’ Jon Bauer’s Sleepers Almanac and app launch speech
Guest review: Lyndon Riggall on Kelly Link’s The Wrong Grave
The Wrong Grave Kelly Link Text 9781921520730 (Aus) Reviewed by Lyndon Riggall It took me a little while to work out exactly what The Wrong Grave was. A book of short stories, yes. But why these stories, and why in this order? You see, some of the tales featured here appear in her book Pretty Monsters and others … Continue reading Guest review: Lyndon Riggall on Kelly Link’s The Wrong Grave
Chris Womersley’s Bereft
This review first appeared in the August issue of Bookseller+Publisher, and is cross-posted over at Bookseller+Publisher's Fancy Goods blog. Bereft Chris Womersley Scribe, September 2010 (Australia) 9781921640605 Chris Womersley’s Bereft, his second novel after 2008’s award-winning The Low Road, is a rich, gripping tale of love, loss, conflict and salvation. The prologue states that in 1912, during a … Continue reading Chris Womersley’s Bereft
Melbourne Writers Festival blog
Just a quick note to say I may not be updating over here quite as much over the next few weeks as I'll be full-on over at the Melbourne Writers Festival blog. You'll see I've been pretty busy over there already, asking some of the MWF guests to respond to random topics such as listening, … Continue reading Melbourne Writers Festival blog
Brass Monkey Books: a cultural exchange between Indian and Australian literature
When I was working at Bookseller+Publisher, Kabita Dhara wrote an article for us on her Asialink residency in India. In New Delhi, Kabita worked on literature that had been translated into English from India’s many regional languages, with a view to understanding the processes behind choosing a title for translation and assessing markets for it. Kabita, … Continue reading Brass Monkey Books: a cultural exchange between Indian and Australian literature
Like, embrace the pain: the Bret Easton Ellis interview (part 2)
It's very telling, you know? Find part 1, right here, folks. Kathy: My two very favourite novels of all time are Lunar Park, and Pet Sematary by Stephen King, which kind of makes perfect sense… Bret: Yes, it does. Kathy: I’m really interested in the idea that Lunar Park may be becoming a film. I’m … Continue reading Like, embrace the pain: the Bret Easton Ellis interview (part 2)
Like, embrace the pain: the Bret Easton Ellis interview (part 1)
Pictured: Carrie, Samantha, Carrie Let’s begin at the end. After Kathy Charles and I finished our interview with the very engaging Bret Easton Ellis, we sat with his publicist over a couple of glasses of Chandon, waiting for Ellis to wrap-up with our friend Robbie Coleman. Robbie emerged, white-faced and swearing, revealing that the interviewee had turned interviewer … Continue reading Like, embrace the pain: the Bret Easton Ellis interview (part 1)
Guest review: Raili Simojoki on harvest: issue 5
harvest: issue 5 reviewed by Raili Simojoki Harvest ’s gentle, reflective, sometimes anxious writing appeals to Gen Y romantics who, dissatisfied by the disconnected, disposable information generated by mass media, are drawn instead to the poetic, intricate, and meandering. Editor Davina Bell speaks directly to this audience in her essay ‘To my Generation of Precious … Continue reading Guest review: Raili Simojoki on harvest: issue 5
Byron Bay Writers Festival 2010 diary, part 3
A sun-drenched and possibly superficial series of blog posts On Saturday afternoon I chaired a panel on magic, and expanding our ideas of the conventional world, with speculative fiction author and astrologer Kim Falconer, and Dutch poet and Voodoo Priestess Maria van Daalen. There was such a great vibe to this panel. I went in … Continue reading Byron Bay Writers Festival 2010 diary, part 3
Byron Bay Writers Festival 2010 diary, part 2
A sun-drenched and possibly superficial series of blog posts On Friday I had my first three panels. I won’t go into too much detail, but there were highlights – such as being on stage alongside Tom Cho on one, and Krissy Kneen on another (and not as a chair, but fellow writer); meeting Susan Wyndham, … Continue reading Byron Bay Writers Festival 2010 diary, part 2
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