The Memory of Salt Alice Melike Ülgezer Giramondo 9781920882907 August 2012 (buy) reviewed by Walter Mason One so rarely encounters God in modern Australian literature that it comes as a shock to see the word, especially so early on Alice Melike Ülgezer’s The Memory of Salt, an extraordinarily lyrical and original novel. The novel’s narrator, … Continue reading Walter Mason on The Memory of Salt by Alice Melike Ülgezer
Australian literature
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
Trauma, kindness & starting with a bang: Jessie Cole on Darkness on the Edge of Town
Fourth Estate, 2012 9780732293192 (buy paperback, ebook) A woman crashes her car outside Vincent's house. Vincent attempts to help the woman, and the baby in her arms, which may not have survived the crash. Rachel is her name and her arrival will have repercussions for Vincent and his daughter Gemma, and will draw attention (and judgment) … Continue reading Trauma, kindness & starting with a bang: Jessie Cole on Darkness on the Edge of Town
The Australian Women Writers Challenge 2012: how did I go?
After completing the recent survey on the Australian Women Writers Challenge website I decided it was time I looked at my reading and reviewing of books by Australian women writers in 2012. On the Overland website Jane Gleeson-White has declared 2012 the year of Australian women writers, and has provided a fantastic summary of the year in relation to … Continue reading The Australian Women Writers Challenge 2012: how did I go?
Writing from the ‘global south’: Dallas Angguish on Southpaw Issue 1
Southpaw Issue 1, December 2011 ISSN 1839-7867 http://southpawjournal.com/ Reviewed by Dallas Angguish Southpaw describes itself as ‘a journal of writing from the global south’. This notion of the global south draws on and intersects with the recent critique in scholarly circles of the Northern hemisphere bias in critical theory, cultural studies (especially literature and film … Continue reading Writing from the ‘global south’: Dallas Angguish on Southpaw Issue 1
Moments that transform us: AS Patrić on Las Vegas for Vegans
I first met AS (Alec) Patrić when we were both participants in the Overland Masterclass for Progressive Writers, back in 2009. Alec is an incredibly hard-working, dedicated and talented writer. Since we met he has been published in almost every Australian literary magazine, has won prizes and has released two collections of stories. His latest is Las Vegas … Continue reading Moments that transform us: AS Patrić on Las Vegas for Vegans
The alpha brother: Annabel Smith on Whisky Charlie Foxtrot
Fremantle Press, November 2012 9781922089144 (buy paperback, ebook) Whisky and Charlie are identical twins, but they couldn't be more different. Whisky is in a coma after a serious accident, and Charlie has to face up to the kind of brother—and person—he's become. Whisky Charlie Foxtrot moves between the brothers' earlier lives and their difficult present. It's a great … Continue reading The alpha brother: Annabel Smith on Whisky Charlie Foxtrot
Review of All the Way Home by Kristin Henry on Cordite
My latest review for Cordite Poetry Review is of Kristin Henry's compelling, neatly written verse novel All the Way Home. It's about Jesse, the son of a travelling salesman, who falls in love and takes his small family to go live on a commune in NSW. The book is full of tension, music, and careful imagery. Read the full … Continue reading Review of All the Way Home by Kristin Henry on Cordite
Dignified survival: Courtney Collins on The Burial
Allen & Unwin September 2012 9781743311875 (buy paperback, ebook) When Courtney Collins' debut novel The Burial landed in my pile last month, it went straight to the top. Set in the early C20th, it's inspired by the story of Australia's last bushranger, Jessie Hickman. Jessie has done something she can't turn back from, and spends the majority … Continue reading Dignified survival: Courtney Collins on The Burial
Home, strange home: Fishing for Tigers by Emily Maguire
Picador, 9781742610832 September 2012 (buy paperback, ebook) A version of this article was originally published in The Big Issue no. 415. Somewhere around the six-week mark of Emily Maguire’s 2008 visit to Hanoi, she realised she was in love: 'Actual love—the kind where you wake up smiling in anticipation, and you fall asleep deeply, deeply happy every … Continue reading Home, strange home: Fishing for Tigers by Emily Maguire
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