Well, the program is out and the Writers Festival is only a few weeks away. As I poured over the list of events and authors, amongst several that I am excited about are two unexpected delights - particularly because I've just recently enjoyed there work: Evie Wyld and Marie Darrieussecq.

I had the pleasure of reading an advanced copy of Evie Wyld's debut novel, After the Fire A Still Small Voice, the review of which will appear in our August edition of the Readings Monthly. It is a wonderfully assured novel that traverses several time periods to explore the lives of three generations of men. War and displacement create deep emotional scars that impact heavily on their ability to communicate with each other and the women in their lives. Wyld is a young Londoner who spent time in Australia as a child, and she captures remarkably well the Queensland landscape where most of the novel is set. She has previously published with Granta, and there is an interesting interview on their website. After the Fire A Still Small Voice is one of the best Australian novels I have read this year - both for its sensitivity and skill. It is due in store at the beginning of August.

Marie Darrieussecq's Pig Tales, far from showing any empathy, takes the all-men-are-bastards view of the world. It is a witty, acerbic fable in which the naive and voluptous young female narrator is both seduced and abused by her boss, her boyfriend and the clients at the massage parlour where she works. As her mental and physical health deteriorate she undergoes a metamorphosis, finding a strange kind of happiness in life as a pig - yes, one with teats and a curly tail. Pig Tales, Darrieussecq's debut, was first published in France in 1996. She has since written several other novels and her latest Tom is Dead is due out here next month.

To find out more check out the full Melbourne Writers Festival program at their website.