Books
The terrible power of ‘echidna books’: Julienne Van Loon’s Harmless
When I was in primary school there was a book I simultaneously loved and feared. It was a picture book featuring Australian bush animals one of whom, the echidna, was ostracised by the others because of his appearance. Determined to overcome the other animals’ hostility the echidna … Read more
Books
The epic in the every-day: Iris Lavell’s Elsewhere in Success
It is always a delight to uncover a wonderful piece of debut fiction such as Iris Lavell’s Elsewhere in Success. This character-driven novel is about Harry and Louisa, two re-partnered baby boomers leading ordinary suburban lives in the suburb of Success in Western Australia. Louisa holds … Read more
Column: Books and Writing
Poster girl for persistence: Annabel Smith’s Whisky, Charlie, Foxtrot
Annabel Smith is something of a poster girl for me. She exemplifies just what it takes to keep writing in an increasingly tough publication environment. Her first novel, A New Map of the Universe, was one of the flagship publications for the new writing imprint at the … Read more
Column: Books and Writing
The Lure of the Literary Pilgrimage
I recently spent three glorious weeks in Europe, thanks largely to my alter ego Corporate Serje, who had work commitments in Stockholm and London. When I was unshackled from my suit I made my way via taxi, train and bus to Haworth, a village in Yorkshire located … Read more
Column: Books and Writing
Selling out
I’ve decided to sell out. I’m over being relegated to the literary fiction shelves, where good books go to die. I want readers – I mean, ‘markets’ – and I’m prepared to dumb it down, sex it up and dog whistle at all remaining points of … Read more
Column: Books and Writing
A great book
I’ve read several books of late that haven’t inspired me enough to do the second read and background research I usually do for this column. Not that the books have been bad. They’ve simply lacked that spark that sets me raving to friends and boring through the … Read more
Column: Books and Writing
The write skills
An article came across my desk last week that put a twinkle in my eye and a profoundly satisfying I told you so on my lips. Titled ‘Revenge of the Liberal Arts Major’, the article was about a recent survey of the recruitment intentions of 225 employers … Read more
Column: Books and Writing
What we didn’t know and couldn’t read: Nicole Moore’s The Censor’s Library
Several years ago I was fossicking through the national archives researching the regulation of pornography in Australia when I stumbled across a reference to a box of items confiscated by customs officials. The box included something called a ‘boob bath mat’. Intrigued, I approached the archive staff … Read more
Column: Books and Writing
A novel approach: creative writing as higher learning?
Photo by sterlic During the Victorian Writers’ Centre’s ‘Advanced Year of the Novel’ course I did in 2011, one of the first questions posed to the group by the tutor – the redoubtable Andrea Goldsmith – was ‘who hasn’t read me?’ I sheepishly put up my hand … Read more
Column: Books and Writing
The stories that numbers tell: Jane Gleeson-White’s Double Entry
Jane Gleeson-White is a doyenne of the Australian literary scene. She is the author of two books on literature (Classics and Australian Classics), the fiction editor at Overland magazine and the blogger behind Bookish Girl. It is only natural, therefore, that her new book should be about … Read more
