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David Mitchell found it ‘addictive and gratifying – not unlike sudoku’. Anna Goldsworthy has written one for children’s classic The Magic Pudding. And Ian Rankin wrote one for Scottish Opera.What is …
Les Murray is undoubtedly one of Australia’s greatest living poets – and an international literary legend.The New Yorker has described him as ‘now routinely mentioned among the three or four leading …
Colin Batrouney is a Melbourne-based writer. His second novel, Creative Writing for Beginners, was published by Affirm Press this month. He has occasionally worked in professional theatre as both…
Tom Doig is a writer, performer and editor who has been published in the Big Issue, The Lifted Brow, Sleepers Almanac and Voiceworks magazine (where he was once editor). His plays include Survival o…
Kylie Ladd is a Melbourne writer and novelist whose essays and articles have appeared in the Age, Griffith Review, Sydney’s Child and O magazine, among others. She works part-time as a…
Anna Goldsworthy’s first book, the memoir Piano Lessons, has been released in the US and Korea, adapted for the stage, and is currently in development as a film. Anna’s writing has appeared in the…
Krissy Kneen is a Brisbane-based writer and bookseller. Her memoir, Affection, was published in 2009 and shortlisted for the Queensland Premier’s Literary Award and the ABIA Award in 2010. Krissy…
The Emerging Writers' Festival brings writers together – with each other and new audiences – to inspire, create and entertain. It just keeps getting bigger and better … and this year, it gets a new d…
The first ever Stella Prize for a work by an Australian woman writer was awarded last night, to Carrie Tiffany for her novel Mateship with Birds. Carrie Tiffany: ‘The Stella is…
Kristina Olsson’s mother married aged sixteen, madly in love with a too-charming older man. After they moved far from her Brisbane family, he turned abusive, starving and badly beating her. As she…
It’s been quite a week for Australian literary award shortlists (and a pair of longlists). We share them with you here – along with a reminder about the inaugural Stella Prize, with the winner…
Kerryn Goldsworthy is a freelance writer and critic with a long and illustrious career on the Australian literary scene. She is a former editor of Australian Book Review and a member of the…
by Yvonne Ward When Yvonne Ward began researching Queen Victoria’s Letters, she found that key aspects of her life were deemed unsuitable for public consumption: her experience of motherhood, her…
Rebecca Starford is a Melbourne-based writer, reviewer, editor and publisher. She is editor of Kill Your Darlings, associate publisher at Affirm Press, and has been deputy editor at Australian Book…
In a special web-only interview, award-winning Indian-born American writer Abha Dawesar (Miniplanner, Babyji, That Summer in Paris, Family Values) drops by to chat to us about the beginnings of…
When Queen Victoria died in 1901, two literary gentlemen took on a monumental task: selecting and editing her vast correspondence. The book they produced would influence perceptions of Victoria for g…
Simmone Howell spent her teen years writing love odes to eighties pop stars and English essays for her friends. Her novel Notes from the Teenage Underground was awarded the 2007 Victorian Premier’s…
Michelle Dicinoski’s memoir, Ghost Wife, about love, secrets, and same-sex marriage, was published by Black Inc. this month. It’s her second book; her first was the poetry collection Electricity for …
We bring you our favourite findings from around the internet this week.International Women’s Day: Media voices & the ‘glass ceiling index’It’s International Women’s Day today – and there’s a slew of …
Lesley Jørgensen won the 2011 CAL Scribe Fiction Prize for an unpublished manuscript for what is now her debut novel, Cat & Fiddle.We spoke to Lesley about her first forays into writing, the buzz of…
Edward St Aubyn’s semi-autobiographical Patrick Melrose novels have been called ‘some of the most perceptive, elegantly written and hilarious novels of our era’. The fourth, Mother’s Milk, was…
Jill Stark is a senior writer for the Sunday Age who has worked for the Age since 2006, where she has predominantly covered health, specialising in alcohol and drug issues, mental health, and…
Zora Sanders recently became the new editor of Meanjin, aged just 25 – quite an achievement. But maybe not surprising, given that her grandmother worked on the magazine in the 1970s, with original…
Once the Apple Isle, Tasmania’s size and isolation made it the butt of mainland jokes. But those qualities – and its stunning natural environment – are now seen as major advantages. And the buzz…
Favel Parrett’s debut novel, Past the Shallows, was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award in 2012. She won Newcomer of the Year in the Australian Book Industry Awards and the Dobbie Literary…
Graeme Simsion’s The Rosie Project is one of the most awaited books of 2013. Since winning the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript last year, it’s been a whirlwind…
Swedish indie songsmith Jens Lekman is renowned for his lyrics; his songs are pure storytelling set to music. Pitchfork has called him ‘one of the most distinct and observant singer-songwriters in…
Monica Dux is a writer, social commentator and co-author of The Great Feminist Denial. Her new book, *Things I Didn’t Expect (when I was expecting) will be published by MUP in March. Monica is…
Pip Smith is currently poet-in-residence at The Lifted Brow. She has had her poems and stories published in HEAT, Meanjin, Voiceworks, Going Down Swinging, Island and Pan Magazine, and also runs…
Damon Young is a philosopher, author and commentator. He is regularly published in the Age, the Australian, by the BBC and elsewhere. His first book, Distraction, has been published in the UK, the…
Paddy O'Reilly’s latest novel, The Fine Colour of Rust, was published in the US, UK and Australia this year; it was selected as one of the Wheeler Centre staff picks in our Best Books of 2012…
We share five of our favourite links, videos and articles from around the internet this week.No, Actually: Debunking a Christmas film favouriteLove, Actually, Richard Curtis’s celebrity-packed…
Gideon Haigh has been a journalist for over 30 years, writing on subjects as diverse as business, literary criticism – and cricket, for which he is especially renowned. (The Australian has called…
Karen Andrews is program manager of the Emerging Writers' Festival. She is also an author and publisher at Miscellaneous Press, with two books under her belt – the picture book Surprise! and most…
A packed (and somewhat awed) crowd gathered at RMIT’s Storey Hall last week to hear Helen Garner deliver the keynote address of the NonFictioNow conference.She spoke generously about her struggles…
David Shields has been hailed as a writing revolutionary. His wildly inventive ‘manifesto’ Reality Hunger, a broadside against the contemporary novel, has been welcomed with open arms by novelists…
David Shields has been hailed as a writing revolutionary. His wildly inventive ‘manifesto’ Reality Hunger, a broadside against the contemporary novel, has been welcomed with open arms by novelists…
There’s a huge public appetite for non-fiction storytelling in all its forms, from literary and political essays to the shelf-filling genre of memoir, and the much-maligned reality TV.This is a…
Margaret Simons is an award-winning freelance journalist and author. She is also the director of the Centre for Advanced Journalism and coordinator of the new Masters in Journalism at the…
Interview by Jo Case, for the Wheeler CentreLily Brett is one of Australia’s most-loved writers, best known for the blackly comic novels (like her masterpiece Too Many Men and most recently, You…
By Anthony MorrisFilm writer Anthony Morris has interviewed your average wish-list of Hollywood celebrities, from Matt Damon to Sarah Jessica Parker. But, he warns, it’s not as fun as you might…
The multi-talented Cate Kennedy (short-story writer, novelist and poet) is one of Australia’s most loved writers. Her books include the acclaimed short-story collection Dark Roots and the…
Five years ago, the tone of discussion about the book industry shifted from ‘confidence’ to ‘crisis’, as online shopping and the emergence of e-books shook up the established ways of doing business.I…
Melbourne GP Jacinta Halloran discovered a second career when she was shortlisted for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript in 2007, leading to the publication of her…
Tom Trumble is the author of the travel book Unholy Pilgrims (Penguin) and is currently working on his second book, as a recipient of a Wheeler Centre Hot Desk Fellowship, supported by the Readings…
Eleanor Hogan lived and worked in Alice Springs for several years. She came back to urban life with a book, recently published in the New South Cities series, a nuanced understanding of issues like…
Mikey Cahill writes the ‘Rock City’ column for News Ltd. He reviews and writes about music for Hit, jmag and Inpress, and has twice been a judge for the Australian Music Prize. We spoke to him for…
Richard Broinowski is a former Australian diplomat. He was Australian ambassador to Vietnam, South Korea, Mexico, the Central American republics, and Cuba. He became general manager of Radio…
We bring you our favourite links and articles we’ve found around the internet this week.Mad spoof of Apple mapsApple maps has to be the most embarrassing product launch in Apple history (and a…
Hannie Rayson is a playwright and screenwriter best known for Hotel Sorrento, which was also produced as a feature film. She made history when her play Life After George was the first play to be…
By Helen RazerLast week, Karen Pickering asked, why should writers work for free? She wasn’t stuck for reasons why they shouldn’t. But long-time professional writer (and fellow freelancer) Helen…
Elmo Keep is a writer and broadcaster whose non-fiction work has appeared in places like The Awl, the Age, Meanjin, the Big Issue and The Rumpus. She was a writer/producer on three series of ABC…
by Karen Pickering Freelance writer and editor Karen Pickering had a ‘learning experience’ recently when she was commissioned to write a piece for a national publication – then wasn’t paid for it…
by Mel Campbell Mel Campbell is currently writing her first (non-fiction) book. She responds to Rebecca Giggs' Overland essay on women’s non-fiction writing, subjectivity, bias and writing the…
We’ve recently welcomed our second round of Hot Desk Fellowships, supported by the Readings Foundation, to the Wheeler Centre.We bid a sad farewell to our first round of fellows: Luke Ryan, Mel…
Chris Flynn is the books editor of the Big Issue and published his debut novel, A Tiger in Eden, this year. He was also guest editor for McSweeney’s 41, the Australian Aboriginal fiction edition…
In this week’s Working with Words, debut author Kristy Chambers speaks to us about writing her memoir, finding the humour in nursing (via Sedaris) and why being offered a contract was like winning…
Is Australia’s literary culture too nice? Too clubbish? Is our critical culture based too much on who you know, and not enough on what you know? Writer and lecturer Emmett Stinson argues that it is…
This week’s Friday High Five brings together a selection of our favourite recent links and stories from around the internet.‘Loose with the Truth’: Leigh Sales vs Tony AbbottThis spectacular…
By Benjamin LawIn Benjamin Law’s new book, Gaysia: Adventures in the Queer East, he goes on a journey to find out how different his life might have been if he’d grown up in Asia. He goes backstage…
Lisa Dempster is the director of the Emerging Writers Festival – and the new director of the Melbourne Writers Festival. She’s currently in Bali, working on the Ubud Readers and Writers Festival, as…
Sam Cooney is a writer and editor who has recently become the editor of The Lifted Brow. He is also one of our crack team of VPLA reviewers; you can read his review of Wayne Macauley’s The Cook
Stephanie Honor Convery is one of the Melbourne Writers Festival’s official bloggers. In a special guest post for us in the lead-up to MWF 2012, she reflects on the relationship between readers and…
We collect our favourite links and articles from around the internet this week.Olympic art: an athletic London busHere’s an eye-catching example of Olympic art, via the Atlantic: a London bus that…
Mel Campbell is a freelance journalist specialising in cultural criticism. She co-founded the award-winning publishing project Is Not Magazine and culture website The Enthusiast and is currently…
Estelle Tang is online editor of Kill Your Darlings and a freelance writer and reviewer. She has been published in the Australian’s Review of Books, Australian Book Review and The Lifted Brow, and…
In the midst of the general gloom and doom about the state of the worldwide publishing industry, it’s a welcome relief to celebrate some good news.Burial Rites, the debut novel from 27-year-old…
Gideon Haigh tells it like it really is: from falling in love with your subject to the long, hard (yet fascinating) slog of actually writing a book. He talks about the reality of shutting yourself…
Comedian Lawrence Leung shares his dirty little writing secret – his habit of filing away life moments for use in his work, even while he’s living them.I was trying to write – or to put it another…
For many years Sean Condon was represented by the most respected and influential agent in Europe. But when she died suddenly he had to find a new one. It wasn’t easy.
Nicholas Jose is general editor of the Macquarie PEN Anthology of Australian Literature. He is the author of several novels, most recently Original Face. His work has appeared in Asian Literary…
Fiona McGregor is the author of four works of fiction. Her most recent, Indelible Ink, won the Age Book of the Year 2011. She has also written a travel memoir, Strange Museums and is a performance…
We’re pleased to announce the awarding of this year’s Hot Desk Fellowships, supported by the Readings Foundation.Twenty lucky writers were selected from a whopping 85 applications – and have been…
Clementine Ford speaks back to a recent column by Sydney Morning Herald regular Elizabeth Farrelly, who prefers ‘writing with a higher IQ and lower pH than most women can manage’. Citing Jeanette…
Jeff Sparrow is the editor of Overland literary magazine, and has authored and co-edited several books. His latest book is Left Turn: Political Essays for the New Left, co-edited with Antony…
Ben Law shot to literary fame with his first book, the surprisingly moving, laugh-out-loud memoir, The Family Law. He’s been writing journalism for many years, for outlets as diverse as Frankie, the…
Join the Emerging Writers' Festival and editor Karen Pickering for the book launch of The Emerging Writer, an insider’s guide to navigating the writing world. This event will include the…
Delia Falconer is a Sydney-based novelist, essayist and writer of short stories; she’s also one of Australia’s finest critics. Her latest book, Sydney, was shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s and…
Are you an artist (aspiring, working, ‘working’ or otherwise) in need of a little inspiration? Well, you might like to go back to school, to hear Neil Gaiman’s recent address to students at the…
Eyes on the PrixWinners of this year’s Prix Ars Electronica were announced this week. Celebrating artists and projects at the forefront of media experimentation and digital innovation, the awards…
Tony Birch Tony Birch is currently shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award for his first novel, Blood. Yet he’s best known for his short stories, which have been…
Join us to celebrate the launch of the fabulous Emerging Writers' Festival program 2012. Three writers from a wide range of genres discuss the art of storytelling, and how they create compelling…
In this week’s Working with Words, we talk to writer, cultural historian and Long View essayist Maria Tumarkin about writing, the value of self-doubt and teaching creative non-fiction. …
Romy Ash’s debut novel, Floundering, was shortlisted for last year’s Vogel Award; it’s published by Text this month. Her writing has been published in Frankie, the Big issue and Zen. We spoke to her…
Toni Jordan is one of Australia’s most loved comic writers, with her sharply funny novels Addition (longlisted for the Miles Franklin) and Fall Girl.Toni’s essay about humour in Australian fiction,
Source: Abu Dhabi International Book Fair Emerging Writers' Festival director Lisa Dempster has, in recent years, become a regular at Arab book fairs…
Join Michael Shmith, Age Senior Writer and Opera Critic, for hi-jinks and hilarity, as he runs through his A-Z hitlist of terrible words and phrases he never again wishes to see in print or hear in n…
Robert Dessaix has long been one of Australia’s foremost essayists. Also a compelling public speaker, Dessaix brings his trademark eloquence to this leisurely guided tour of his chamber of…
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Australian Writers’ Guild, David Williamson AO – president of the AWG and acclaimed playwright and screenwriter – presents a major State of the Industry…
The Wheeler Centre’s senior writer Jo Case stumbled on a goldmine of reviewing advice after she put a question to Twitter. Here, she shares her booty. Don’t let anyone tell you Twitter can’t be a…
Philosopher Damon Young shares how fatherhood has changed him – as a writer, a thinker and a man. Changing nappies at three in the morning may be taxing, he says, but viewing the world afresh…
Working with Words is a series where we talk to writers about their work – and other bookish things. This time, we talk to Andy Griffiths, Australia’s most popular children’s writer.Andy is best…
Today, we launch our new long-form review series, The Long View. Wheeler Centre director Michael Williams explains the thinking behind the series.One of the most frustrating things about working at t…
We share five of our favourite links to news, reviews or articles that we’ve discovered over the past week.Cooking with Poo and the Great Singapore Penis PanicThe whimsical Diagram Prize for Oddest B…
Alan Hollinghurst is one of the British novel’s most admired stylists. In the course of his writing career, Hollinghurst has fashioned a unique literary voice at once considered, ruminative and…
Working with Words is a new Wheeler Centre web series, where we’ll talk to writers and publishing folk about their work and other bookish things. We kick off with Hilary McPhee, one of Australian…
Earlier this week, we tweeted the news that Penguin’s general publishing department is now accepting unsolicited manuscripts, in a new initiative titled, ‘The Monthly Catch’. Submissions are…
In the online world, science fiction and fantasy, thrillers and romance rule supreme. Much-maligned genre fiction is seemingly better placed to survive in the new world order than prestigious…
