There is no doubt, ‘The Other Side of the World‘ is one of my top picks of the year so far. Author, Stephanie Bishop, has the most beautiful, poetic writing style and the book, as a whole, has much to say about nostalgia and the way in which people long for a place and time in their lives they can…
A book launch is a slightly fraught occasion. There are nerves. There is excitement. There is celebration. There is anxiety. But overlaying all of this is a tremendous feeling of inspiration. Get a crowd of readers and writers in a room and the love of books starts to feel palpable. At least, that was the feeling in the room at…
I’ll be honest. I am not a massive fan of editing. I put a lot of thought and effort into first drafts and in many ways, I edit as I go. But as I mentioned in my last post on editing, even the most amazing first draft is going to need revising. And so I doggedly persist. If you want…
If you ever get the chance to attend a literary festival, do it! For lovers of writing and reading, a day spent in the midst of books, writers and fellow book lovers is a bit like finding heaven on earth. This year, I set aside a full Friday for the Sydney Writers’ Festival – and was rewarded with a wonderful…
Victorian writer, Melanie Napthine is the winner of this year’s Margaret River Press Short Story Competition for her unsettling tale, ‘Lost Boy’ – after which the anthology of shortlistees is also named. (Shameless plug – my story ‘Glory Season’ is also published in the collection!) It was a genuine thrill to read this story, which is disturbing in the best…