Author: joylawn

Book advocate. Joy Lawn is a freelance book reviewer and book judge specialising in literary fiction and children's and YA literature. She has recently judged the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, Qld Literary Awards - Fiction & Non-Fiction Book Award (chair), IBBY Australia Honour Books for Writing & Illustration, and has judged the NSW Premier's Literary Awards, Russell Prize for Humour Writing, CBCA, Davitt Women's Crime Book awards & Aurealis Awards. Joy loves moderating sessions at Writers’ Festivals, including Brisbane, Byron, Sydney & Central Coast, reviews theatre & books for ArtsHub, books for Books + Publishing & writes the editorial and feature articles for Magpies magazine. Joy promotes Australian literature here and overseas. 'A great book compels you to reread your own soul.' — Richard Flanagan, The Narrow Road to the Deep North

The Peach King by Inga Simpson, ill. Tannya Harricks

The Peach King: A contemporary fable about the resilience of nature written by Inga Simpson, illustrated by Tannya Harricks Lothian Children’s Books, Hachette Australia Interview with Inga Simpson & Tannya Harricks about The Peach King “When Little Peach Tree was just a sapling, not much more than a stick bending in the breeze, all they could […]

Another Year Around the Sun by Katrina Germein, ill. Alice Lindstrom

Another Year Around the Sun by Katrina Germein, illustrated by Alice Lindstrom Affirm Press, Simon & Schuster Another Year Around the Sun – Creators’ Inspiration Katrina Germein In thinking about the inspiration for Another Year Around the Sun, I can’t pinpoint one moment; even revisiting my drafts doesn’t help. It’s just there. A story about […]

Adventures on the Dreaming Path by Paul Callaghan

Adventures on the Dreaming Path by Paul Callaghan, illustrated by Dylan Finney Pantera Press Paul writes about the creation of his children’s book, Adventures of the Dreaming Path, a follow up to his ABIA Award winning and best-selling adult book, The Dreaming Path for PaperbarkWords blog: Introduction I belong to Worimi/Birpai Country – saltwater country, […]

Confessions of a Minor Poet by Phil Brown

Confessions of a Minor Poet by Phil Brown (Transit Lounge) “I was transplanted from a school like the one in Goodbye, Mr. Chips to one more akin to Lord of the Flies. But while my outward life tended to be surfing, partying and reading Tracks magazine, I retained a rather bookish inner life. I was […]

When the Mountain Wakes by Matt Shanks

When the Mountain Wakes by Matt Shanks Affirm Press, Simon & Schuster “Somewhere, towards the beginning of time … a mountain rose from the ocean and came to rest above the clouds. Life sang a lullaby, and the mountain slept for many millions of years. Until one day … ” (When the Mountain Wakes) When […]

Legacy by Chris Hammer

Legacy by Chris Hammer Allen & Unwin In Legacy, Chris Hammer is back to his Scrublands best. Martin Scarsdale returns in an explosive mystery adventure where he is under personal attack. The setting straddles the Queensland and NSW border and is an atmospheric highlight. Diverted floodwaters creeping south form a stark contrast to the searing […]

Run by Sarah Armstrong

Run by Sarah Armstrong Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing When I was a kid, I used to dream of heading off into the wilderness and surviving by my wits. Sadly, the closest I ever came to that was building a treehouse up the back of our 13-acre block on the Central Coast of New South Wales […]

No Dancing in the Lift: A Memoir by Mandy Sayer

No Dancing in the Lift: A Memoir by Mandy Sayer Published by Transit Lounge, 2025 An edited extract: Mandy Sayer on the enduring legacy of her father’s humour Dad was forever joking, even in the most inappropriate settings. Once, on the way to radiotherapy, he leaned heavily against the lift’s handrail, winked at me and […]

The Locked Room by Adam Cece

The Locked Room by Adam Cece Published by Penguin Books Australia Adam, congratulations on your riveting new YA novel, The Locked Room, which is set in an escape room. It is a highly appealing concept and will hook in many readers, including those who may not read many books. Thank you for writing this interesting […]

Godaku Tjukurpa

Godaku Tjukurpa Tjitji Tjutangku Nyakula Kulintjaku Various contributors Interview about Godaku Tjukurpa with Louise Sherman, head of the Australian Languages Team (ALT), Bible Society Australia Thanks to speaking to ‘Joy in Books’ at Paperbark Words blog about Godaku Tjukurpa, Louise. Congratulations on the publication of this beautiful and important children’s book and for its shortlisting […]