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The story of my book: Downsize With Style
by Bettina DedaA few years ago I came across Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement speech. I couldn’t help but keep on listening as he inspired the students to never give up looking for what they really want to do in their lives. He encouraged them to keep searching until they have found what they love to do. He said that when you do this, eventually the ‘dots will connect’.
I could so much relate to this after I had moved to…
Rebecca Jessen on the influence of Dorothy Porter in Gap
by Rebecca JessenRebecca Jessen’s award-winning verse novella, Gap , is a gripping crime thriller. Here, she talks about the influence of Australian poet Dorothy Porter on her work.
My first encounter with the work of late Australian poet Dorothy Porter was in mid 2011 in a second-hand bookshop in Newtown, Sydney. I picked up a copy of The Monkey’s Mask, intrigued by the two naked female bodies splayed across the cover. There’s something special about encountering an author’s work for the…
Nic Low on designing the book cover for Arms Race
by Nic LowNic Low’s short-story collection, Arms Race , is a playful debut. Here, he shares the inspiration behind the book’s cover design, courtesy of WH Chong.
A few years ago, on a launch heading to a small island off New Zealand’s south coast, I thought I saw a giant octopus. It lay beneath the waves like a bruise. It was as wide as a downed jumbo jet. I figured something that big had to be powerful and old. The horizon was…
Our top ten bestsellers of the week
The Songs Of Jesse Adams by Peter McKinnon
Here Come the Dogs by Omar Musa
The Life of I: The New Culture of Narcissism by Anne Manne
All the Birds Singing by Evie Wyld
The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
The Book of Paul: The Wit and Wisdom of Paul Keating by Russell Marks
The Heist by Daniel Silva
Lost & Found by Brooke Davis
Eyrie by Tim Winton
This week’s…
Our mid-year bookish awards for 2014 (for young people)
Best Young Adult memoir:
by Maya Van Wagenen
Some teenage diaries are best kept under lock and key, but happily this one is charming, well-written, and a great insight into 8th Grade politics.
Best translated Young Adult novel:
by Benny Lindelauf, translated by John Nieuwenhuizen
Eccentric and unique, with quirky humour and dark turns, this is something a little different for readers of 12 and up about three sisters and a mystery that begins to unfold…
Our mid-year bookish awards for 2014
The Vladimir Nabokov award for an opening paragraph:
by Akhil Sharma
‘My father has a glum nature. He retired three years ago, and he doesn’t talk much. Left to himself, he can remain silent for days. When this happens, he begins brooding, he begins thinking strange thoughts. Recently he told me that I was selfish, that I had always been selfish, that when I was a baby I would start to cry as soon as he turned on…
What we're reading
Each week we bring you a sample of the books we’re reading, the films we’re watching, the television shows we’re hooked on or the music we’re loving.
Emily is reading The Road by Cormac McCarthy (or at least, half of it)
I decided to start this novel years after making it a victim of tsundoku (the act of leaving a book unread after buying it). What a gut-twisting masterpiece this is. Well, half of it is, anyway. I’ll explain…
I…
The 2014 Man Booker Prize longlist
Congratulations to all the authors and publishers longlisted for the 2014 Man Booker Prize, including Australian Richard Flanagan for his novel, The Narrow Road to the Deep North.
This year’s longlist ranges from a new novel from a previous winner of the award (J) to a debut novel that was ‘crowdfunded’ by members of the public (The Wake). This is also the first year that this prestigious literary award has been open to all authors…
DVD challenges for winter
Here are five ways to enjoy staying in during the cold winter evenings.
Commit yourself to a beloved TV show that you missed out on when it was actually aired.
Make this the year you finally watch Twin Peaks which is probably the greatest television series of all-time (who us? Biased?). If you’re asking yourself, do I really have to watch this old show then check out this great response from Margaret Lyons over at Vulture. Other must-see recommendations…
A snapshot of what teenagers are reading
Over the past few months we’ve been participating in a work experience program with students from high schools across Melbourne including Anna Louey, Olivia Walls, Matilda Morley, Joel Calabria, Estelle Sutherland, Kealy Siryj and Tess Devine-Hercus. While these students were with us, we asked them what kind of books they like to read. Here are our findings…
Everyone had different favourite reads.
Joel said The Messenger is probably the closest he’s come to finding ‘a perfect book’. Olivia’s particular love…
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