The novella I wrote after finishing A Superior Spectre has won a big prize! Joan Smokes is set in the early 1960s and centres on a woman who attempts to escape the past by travelling to Las Vegas. It tackles themes of reinvention, grief, trauma and love. Prize judge and Galley Beggar Press co-founder Eloise Millar praised the … Continue reading ‘Joan Smokes’ wins the Mslexia Novella Competition (UK)
trauma
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
Closer to Stone by Simon Cleary
UQP, March 2012 9780702239229 (buy paperback) A few years ago I read and enjoyed The Comfort of Figs by Simon Cleary, and I was excited to receive his new book Closer to Stone in the mail. It's about a young Australian man who travels to Northern Africa in the mid '90s in search of his missing brother. As I … Continue reading Closer to Stone by Simon Cleary
