Crimson Velvet Heart by Carmel Bird

Crimson Velvet Heart by Carmel Bird Transit Lounge Crimson Velvet Heart is the twelfth novel from the accomplished Australian writer Carmel Bird. It revivifies the dynasty and descendants of Louis XIV in 17th century Versailles. The following extract for PaperbarkWords blog is from the start of novel: A Child Is Born in Savoy from Crimson […]

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 […]

The Great Undoing by Sharlene Allsopp

The Great Undoing by Sharlene Allsopp (Ultimo Press) “…there are other forms of history. There are songs and laments – poetry. There are ancient songlines. There is continued existence. There is thriving where there was once only surviving. I drew a deep breath as I walked on that silent country, thinking these thoughts, searching for […]

Gail Jones, Hannah Kent, Sophie Laguna & Book Reviews for ArtsHub

My book reviews for ArtsHub The Name of the Sister by Gail Jones (Text Publishing) https://www.artshub.com.au/news/reviews/book-review-the-name-of-the-sister-gail-jones-2801217/ My other book reviews for ArtsHub Always Home, Always Homesick by Hannah Kent Hannah Kent’s new book is Always Home, Always Homesick. It a memoir about her time living in Iceland and the writing of Burial Rites. (Pan Macmillan […]

Saturation by William Lane

Saturation by William Lane Saturation by William Lane (Transit Lounge) is a gripping, easy-to-read dystopia for adults that explores issues of climate and other anxieties. On writing Saturation by William Lane It seems every second person wrote a novel during the Covid lockdowns. Saturation is one of these novels. The Covid crisis, along with the […]

The Buried Life by Andrea Goldsmith

The Buried Life by Andrea Goldsmith (Transit Lounge) ‘His interest in death had come about, somewhat to his surprise, when he was exposed to religious belief for the first time. Both his grandparents were avowed atheists, and he didn’t attend religious instruction at school. But at university he met people of faith, and he was […]

Tim Winton & Juice

Tim Winton & Juice Legendary Australian novelist Tim Winton was introduced as a ‘prophetic voice’ before his brilliantly composed, erudite and literary-rich Richard Johnson lecture, ‘Exiles at Home: what our contempt for nature is costing us’ hosted by cpx in Sydney. Winton acknowledged First Nations Peoples such as Dr Miriam Rose Ungunmerr Baumann as our original Australian prophets, as well […]

Sarah Bailey & Body of Lies

Sarah Bailey & Body of Lies Published by Allen & Unwin Author Interview Sarah Bailey is a prominent new Australian crime writer, known for her DS Gemma Woodstock series. The Dark Lake, first in the series won the 2018 Ned Kelly award for Best First Crime novel and the Davitt Award for Best Crime Debut. […]

Beam of Light: Stories by John Kinsella

Beam of Light: Stories by John Kinsella Author Interview at PaperbarkWords “Then they heard the trucks buzz and ring, and – though it was a long way off – they knew a train was coming in … not a regular but an extra for the season … a big loading day tomorrow … And they […]

The Bell of the World by Gregory Day

The Bell of the World by Gregory Day Author Interview at PaperbarkWords “The world is a bell that sometimes only rings after long intervals: indeed it is often in the intervals where the suffering, and therefore the wisdom, lies.” (The Bell of the World) Gregory Day is the awarded author of The Patron Saint of […]