Kaleidoscopic views: Emily Gale on ‘I Am Out with Lanterns’
Thursday, 31 May 2018
Emily Gale’s I Am Out with Lanterns (Random House, August) intertwines the points of view of several teenagers to create a story that is ‘nuanced, complex and thoroughly devourable’, writes Jordi...
In somebody else’s shoes: Australian Children’s Laureate Morris Gleitzman’s plans for his term
Thursday, 19 April 2018
Prolific children’s author Morris Gleitzman has been chosen as the Australian Children’s Laureate. He spoke with Sarah Farquharson about his plans for his two-year term as laureate. What are you...
Memory trick: Margot McGovern on ‘Neverland’
Friday, 13 April 2018
Debut author Margot McGovern was inspired by her favourite childhood reads to create Neverland (Random House, April), ‘a dark and compelling examination of memory, self-determination and the dangers of romanticising...
Clued up: Jacqueline Harvey on ‘Breaking News: Kensy and Max Book One’
Thursday, 1 March 2018
‘Alice-Miranda’ and ‘Clementine Rose’ author Jacqueline Harvey assembles a world of espionage and mystery in Breaking News: Kensy and Max Book One (Random House, March), which reviewer Natalie Crawford says...
Flight of fantasy: Tracy Sorensen on ‘The Lucky Galah’
Monday, 23 October 2017
Tracy Sorensen’s The Lucky Galah (Picador, March) recounts the lives of ordinary Australians from the 1960s until the 2000s, as narrated by a galah called Lucky. The conceit is handled...
From the heart: Shivaun Plozza on ‘Tin Heart’
Monday, 23 October 2017
In her second YA novel Tin Heart (Penguin, March), Shivaun Plozza tells the story of a teenage girl who undergoes an organ transplant. The book ‘cements Plozza as a writer with...
Off-course navigation: Claire Christian on ‘Beautiful Mess’
Wednesday, 5 July 2017
Claire Christian’s 2016 Text Prize winner Beautiful Mess (Text, September) is about two misfits who help each other through the raw pain of adolescence. Reviewer Angela Crocombe spoke to the...
The Fictional Dimension: Bram Presser on ‘The Book of Dirt’
Thursday, 29 June 2017
Bram Presser’s The Book of Dirt (Text, September) is ‘a remarkable tale of Holocaust survival, love and genealogical sleuthing by a grandson intent on finding the truth about his grandparents’...
Quiet Magic: Emily Rodda on ‘The Shop at Hoopers Bend’
Thursday, 11 May 2017
Emily Rodda’s latest novel The Shop at Hoopers Bend is a return to the author’s earlier books, where the magic is ‘about following your instincts’ rather than fantasy realms. Fay...
Crime teen investigation: Tristan Bancks on ‘The Fall’
Wednesday, 3 May 2017
In Tristan Bancks’ middle-grade novel The Fall, 12-year-old Sam Garner finds himself investigating a crime after witnessing a body falling from his apartment building. Bancks spoke to reviewer Braiden Asciak....
Heart to heart: Melanie Cheng on ‘Australia Day’
Thursday, 27 April 2017
Melanie Cheng’s Australia Day (Text, July) is a ‘bittersweet, beautifully crafted collection’ about the conflicts and realisations that occur when people of different backgrounds are brought together. She spoke to reviewer...
Untying the knots: Mark Brandi on ‘Wimmera’
Thursday, 27 April 2017
Mark Brandi’s debut crime novel Wimmera (Hachette, July) is a ‘languid and unsettling’ story about two boys growing up together in a small town in the 1980s. He spoke to reviewer...
System override: Elizabeth Tan on ‘Rubik’
Tuesday, 28 February 2017
Elizabeth Tan’s Rubik is a novel of interconnected short stories with plotlines that explore ‘a sprawling world of shady corporations, sentient memes and hackable bodies’. The result is ‘conceptually and structurally...
Movie mayhem: Alex Miles on ‘Mammoth Mistake’
Monday, 27 February 2017
Mammoth Mistake is the first book in Alex Miles’ new ‘Olive Black’ series, about a 10-year-old actress who juggles friendships, rivals and on-set hijinks. Reviewer Bec Kavanagh spoke to the...
Dead ringer: ‘The Turnkey’ by Allison Rushby
Thursday, 6 October 2016
Allison Rushby’s middle-grade novel The Turnkey is a ‘page-turning mystery’ set in London’s Highgate Cemetery during the Blitz. Reviewer Maria H Alessandrino spoke to the author. Read her review here....
A life re-examined: Jeff Sparrow on ‘No Way But This: In Search of Paul Robeson’
Thursday, 6 October 2016
Jeff Sparrow’s book on African-American singer, actor and political activist Paul Robeson combines ‘essay, journalism, history and biography to produce something engaging, original and insightful’, writes reviewer Chris Saliba. He...
Second act: Richard Roxburgh on ‘Artie and the Grime Wave’
Friday, 8 July 2016
Artie and the Grime Wave (A&U, October), written and illustrated by Richard Roxburgh, is an ‘action-packed story’ for younger readers with ‘elements of [Roxburgh’s] famous wit’, writes reviewer Angela Crocombe....
Key change: Holly Throsby on ‘Goodwood’
Friday, 8 July 2016
Set around the disappearance of two people in the fictional small town of Goodwood, musician Holly Throsby’s debut novel ‘hits all the right notes’, writes reviewer Carody Culver. She spoke...
Shelf help: Cath Crowley on ‘Words in Deep Blue’
Tuesday, 5 July 2016
A love story set in a second-hand bookshop, Cath Crowley’s latest YA novel Words in Deep Blue is ‘a beautiful examination of grief, love and the power of words’. Reviewer...
Character building: Melina Marchetta on ‘Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil’
Thursday, 30 June 2016
Melina Marchetta’s Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil (Viking, September) is ‘an electrifying contemporary detective thriller’ that ‘explores Europe’s simmering anti-Muslim sentiments’ in the aftermath of a bus bomb, writes...
Remaking history: Kate Mildenhall on ‘Skylarking’
Tuesday, 10 May 2016
Kate Mildenhall’s Skylarking (Black Inc., August) is a historical novel about an intense female friendship. Reviewer Angela Andrewes spoke to the author. Skylarking is based on historical events. What drew...
Retail rewards: An interview with Len Vlahos
Tuesday, 10 May 2016
US book-industry insider Len Vlahos will deliver the keynote at this year’s Australian Booksellers Association conference. Vlahos is the new owner of Denver bookstore chain Tattered Cover, former executive director...
Flying high: Jeannie Baker on ‘Circle’
Monday, 21 March 2016
In her new picture book Circle, Jeannie Baker uses her distinctive mixed-media illustrations to depict the migration of the bar-tailed godwits. Reviewer Margaret Hamilton describes it as a ‘masterpiece’. She...
Fertile ground: Jane Harper on ‘The Dry’
Monday, 21 March 2016
Jane Harper won the 2015 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript for her first novel The Dry (Picador, June). She spoke to reviewer Myles McGuire. One of the most...
Drawing an audience: Australian Children’s Laureate Leigh Hobbs
Monday, 21 March 2016
Children’s author and illustrator Leigh Hobbs has been chosen as the Australian Children’s Laureate for 2016-17. He spoke to Jackie Tang about his plans for his laureateship and his approach...
