After the winter: Claire Zorn on ‘The Sky So Heavy’
Claire Zorn’s The Sky So Heavy (UQP, August) tells the story of a group of Australian teenagers struggling to stay alive in the wake of a nuclear winter. Reviewer Kate...
On the world stage: Tracy Farr on ‘The Life and Loves of Lena Gaunt’
Tracy Farr’s debut novel The Life and Loves of Lena Gaunt (Fremantle Press, September) tells the story of Lena, a woman from Perth who found international fame after becoming the...
‘Guardian’ children’s fiction prize longlist announced
In the UK, the Guardian has announced the longlist for its 2013 children’s fiction prize. The longlisted titles are: The Boy Who Swam with Piranhas (David Almond, illus by Oliver...
Jane Curry Publishing launches digital-first imprint
Independent publisher Jane Curry Publishing (JCP) has launched a new digital-first imprint called Storyworks. The first title to be published under the Storyworks imprint is Partners, a debut novel by...
A simpler life: Inga Simpson on ‘Mr Wigg’
Reviewer John Purcell credited Inga Simpson’s Mr Wigg (Hachette) with giving him ‘that warm feeling that comes from having read something that has strengthened or even reawakened a sense of what is...
Words as weapons: Max Barry on ‘Lexicon’
In Max Barry’s action-packed Lexicon (Mulholland, July), only one man survives a deadly attack on Broken Hill. The author spoke to Angela Meyer. (Read the review of Lexicon here.) Lexicon’s strong central concept...
Bible studies: Vanessa Russell on ‘Holy Bible’
In Holy Bible (Sleepers, July), Vanessa Russell takes a look at family life in a religious sect. The author spoke to Katie Haydon. It is said to write what you know,...
‘A dark love letter to Iceland’: Hannah Kent on ‘Burial Rites’
Hannah Kent’s Burial Rites (Picador, May) plunges the reader into the remotest corner of 19th-century Iceland in her story of the last woman to be beheaded in that country. Andrea...
Telling Tales: Julie Hunt on ‘Song for a Scarlet Runner’
Julie Hunt has created a thrilling tale of life on the run in Song for a Scarlet Runner (A&U, April). The author spoke to Jarrah Moore. You can read Moore’s review...
Trouble in Tassie: Poppy Gee on ‘Bay of Fires’
A murdered girl washed up on a Tassie beach, and its impact on a small community, are the subjects of Poppy Gee’s debut novel. She spoke to Catherine Schulz. Given...
Second act: Karen Foxlee on ‘The Midnight Dress’
Karen Foxlee suffered from severe ‘second novel syndrome’ while working on her suspenseful drama The Midnight Dress. She spoke to Melanie Barton. How did it feel to work on your...
Huston wins 2012 Bad S-x in Fiction Award for ‘Infrared’
Canadian author Nancy Huston has won this year’s UK Literary Review Bad S-x in Fiction Award for her book Infrared (Text), reports the Independent. Huston’s novel was selected for the...
Interview with Pamela Cook on ‘Blackwattle Lake’
Pamela Cook has created a feisty new character in Eve, the heroine of Blackwattle Lake (Hachette, December). The author spoke to Sarina Gale. Read the review here. You capture the...
‘Overland’ Victoria University Short Story Prize finalists announced
The finalists for the inaugural Overland Victoria University Short Story Prize for New and Emerging Writers have been announced. The shortlisted stories are: ‘Zone of Confidence’ (Claire Aman) ‘Frank O’Hara’s...
Interview with Michelle de Kretser on ‘Questions of Travel’
Michelle de Kretser’s latest novel explores the motivations and desires of the modern traveller through the twin narratives of an Australian backpacker and a Sri Lankan refugee. The author spoke...
Interview with Jaclyn Moriarty on ‘A Corner of White’
Jaclyn Moriarty, best known for her YA novels Feeling Sorry for Celia and Finding Cassie Crazy, has begun a new series for crossover readers. She spoke to Amelia Vahtrick. This...
Interview with Catherine Deveny on ‘The Happiness Show’
Catherine Deveny describes her first novel, about a 30-something married comedian who reconnects with her ex, as ‘totally utterly unapologetically autobiographical’. She spoke to Carody Culver. You’ve got seven nonfiction...
Interview with Jacqueline Wright on ‘Red Dirt Talking’
In 2010 Jacqueline Wright won the TAG Hungerford Award for most promising unpublished manuscript, and Red Dirt Talking (Fremantle Press, October) is the result. The novel is a contemporary drama...
Nick Earls on striking a balance in social media
First, I’d like to tell you a few things about my cat. I’d like to, but he’s been gone for more than two years, after a long and mostly happy...
‘The Big Issue’ announces fiction edition line-up
The Big Issue has announced the full line-up of authors whose stories will appear in its annual fiction edition. Stories by David Cohen, Andy Murdoch, Alex Skovron, Jude Bridge, Rafael...