The Labyrinth by Amanda Lohrey

Book Review My lingering recollections of The Labyrinth by Amanda Lohrey (Text Publishing) are of place and the nature of the labyrinth. https://paperbarkwords.blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/labyrinth-1.jpg Erica finds a fibro shack on the sandy, salty, windswept coastline in the hamlet of Garra Nulla. It is a shambled labyrinth but its core is perfectly proportioned. Erica buys the house.…

Are Literary Panels a Bad Idea?

David Free believes that Literary Panels are a Terrible Idea By Craig Lawn In response to David Free’s article about literary awards in the SMH 9/7/21 https://www.smh.com.au/culture/books/judge-a-literary-prize-no-thanks-they-re-all-a-giant-waste-of-time-20210706-p587cu.html As a commentator, David’s role is to engage the reader. He has done this by writing a polemic piece. He has been one-eyed and controversial, but he has […]

Words on the Waves Writers Festival 2021

The inaugural Words on the Waves Writers Festival was held on Darkinjung Country on the NSW Central Coast over the June 2021 long weekend. The festival was marked by its combination of professionalism and strong sense of hospitality. The program was exceptionally well curated, ranging from the Climate Changemakers; On Truth, Brains, Money & More; […]

The Labyrinth by Amanda Lohrey

Book Review My lingering recollections of The Labyrinth by Amanda Lohrey (Text Publishing) are of place and the nature of the labyrinth. Erica finds a fibro shack on the sandy, salty, windswept coastline in the hamlet of Garra Nulla. It is a shambled labyrinth but its core is perfectly proportioned. Erica buys the house. “I […]

Benevolence by Julie Janson

“She thinks she can be in two worlds and not have to choose.” (Benevolence) Benevolence is a searing, unforgettable work for adults and mature young adults by Julie Janson, a Burruberongal woman of the Darug Aboriginal Nation and award-winning playwright. It is published by Magabala Books. Although not easy to read because of the unconscionable […]

The Dictionary of Lost Words

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams The poppies burgeoning from a small wooden suitcase on the cover of Pip Williams’ The Dictionary of Lost Words (Affirm Press) beguile the reader into this well-told story of words, Oxford, history and the changing role of women. Esme’s mother Lily has died and she is being […]

This Taste for Silence by Amanda O’Callaghan

Brisbane author Amanda O’Callaghan has crafted a thoughtful, darkly-hued work in This Taste for Silence (UQP). This, her debut collection of short stories seems to be set in both Australia and the UK. The cover, with its still-life arrangement of three flying porcelain ducks and a comfortable but empty (apart from a painting) chair in […]

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson

Nothing to See Here (Text Publishing) by US author Kevin Wilson of The Family Fang fame (also a movie with Nicole Kidman) is piercing, funny and original. Protagonist Lillian has had a deprived childhood but snared a scholarship at a prestigious school, Iron Mountain, where she became best friends with beautiful, privileged Madison. They are […]

There Was Still Love By Favel Parrett

I treasure Favel Parrett’s debut novel Past the Shallows and have found There Was Still Love (Hachette Australia) to be similarly gemlike and told with shards of pain and love. It explores three generations of a family living in Prague and Melbourne in a fragmentary and episodic style with several points of view. These all […]

Brisbane Writers Festival 2019 Tony Birch, Melina Marchetta & Melanie Cheng

At this year’s Brisbane Writers Festival I was fortunate to moderate the memorable session, People in the Margins. Melina Marchetta, Melanie Cheng and Tony Birch discussed their recent novels The Place on Dalhousie, Room for a Stranger and The White Girl respectively to explore the lives of people living on the margins of society. These […]