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Watch “Emily Paull in conversation with Liz Byrski” on YouTube
A week or so ago, I filmed this video for Westbooks of their Q & A session with author Liz Byrski. Find out about her latest book The Woman Next Door and her writing routine as she gets interviewed by Emily Paull.
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Do you want a DWoA writing group?
I want to talk about writing groups today. As you may or may not already be aware, I do attend a regular writing session/group with two friends of mine every Friday. We sit in a bar, I write my book, they write their PhD theses and come four or five pm we have beer.
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Sulari Gentill’s A Few Right Thinking Men
I grew up on a literary diet that had a healthy portion of crime fiction in it and these days if I see one crime novel that sparks my interest then the entire process of hunting down the whole series one by one begins. This is also one reason why I am so glad that the first book in Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series never fully grabbed me in the same way – I would still be trying to get through all of them decades later.
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The writing plan for June
It’s June today. A June day, today, let’s say since June began the day before yesterday. On this June day my TBR is neither pile nor stack, it is a scatter instead, in bags, on shelves, across the floor, under laptops and beds. It’s also not To Be Read but rather like quantum, a mix between the two, some To Be Read but some also read already so To Be Reviewed. I need a plan.Â
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The Paper House by Anna Spargo-Ryan
My heart fell out on a spring morning… ~ The Paper House by Anna Spargo-Ryan Grief is an ever present theme in Australian literature. We are a nation of writers fascinated by either lack or loss. That, in itself, intrigues me. And it intrigues me that much like Anna’s opening line here, that we never run out of ways to twist and use language to be able to describe so well the nuances of the nature of that grief. And language and the use of it is what strikes me so immediately with The Paper House. This is Anna’s first book, one she has worked on for ages, one that…
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The Australian Women Writers’ Challenge 2016
So in case you didn’t know, I often volunteer, and often fail (sorry Elizabeth) at rounding up and discussing what people have read for the Australian Women Writers’ Challenge in the genres of non fiction and short fiction and poetry. Occasionally, I interview authors for podcasts as well. The Challenge aims to get people reading more books written in all genres by Australian female and female identifying writers and to promote their work since we seem unable to rely on mainstream media to do a good enough job of doing so with no gender or racial bias involved. This year we hope to introduce a bingo card element to the…
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Samantha Tidy's The Happiness Jar
There is a jar on one of my bookshelves. It smells vaguely of tomato sauce and in it are little twists of paper. The twists of paper hold words – reminders of things that have happened that made me happy – memories, experiences, ideas, facts. I got the idea from a blog post I came across while surfing the internet. A few days after I started it, I got a book in the mail: Samantha Tidy’s The Happiness Jar. It starts with a death, that of Rachel from cystic fibrosis. But Rachael leaves behind a happiness jar full of secrets and a two part will that baffles the daylights out…
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Eleni Konstantine's Snoop
A detective. That works with the paranormal. So where do I sign up? I got hold of this because Eleni Konstantine was kind enough to send me a pdf version to review. Eleni writes short fiction, not quite flash or short story but nowhere near novella length either. And she usually is pure sci fi though much like Marianne de Pierres she does not shy away from the crossover with crime. Crime is bound to happen in the near future and any alternate timelines after all. And so in the space of a few words Eleni sketches out the scene: there are ghouls, goblins and vampires, there are systems &…
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Marianne de Pierres' Glitter Rose
Marisa Wikramanayake reviews author Marianne de Pierres collection Glitter Rose for the Australian Women Writers Challenge 2014
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The South Asian Women Writers Challenge 2014
Marisa Wikramanayake writes about the latest reading and reviewing challenge: the South Asian Women Writers Challenge 2014
