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 […]

Enfolded in the Wings of a Great Darkness by Peter Boyle

Enfolded in the Wings of a Great Darkness by Peter Boyle (Vagabond Press) recently won the Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry in the 2020 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. Poetry judges’ comments (from the NSWPLA website) Enfolded in the wings of a great darkness is an extraordinary book-length poem by poet and translator Peter Boyle. The work […]

Love is Strong as Death by Paul Kelly

I loved the introduction. It was empowering. There is a relief when you hear your words said, your experience that you were too busy, fearful or muddled to express. In his foreword to Love is Strong as Death, Paul Kelly has captured the magic and the mystery that poetry is to me – that it […]

The Bible in Australia: A cultural history by Meredith Lake

The Bible in Australia: A cultural history concludes, “And while the church’s own record has been very mixed, and at times patently destructive, the Bible, variously interpreted, continues to appear in startling ways – as a source of inspiration, power and practical wisdom.” If you are looking for a great read and you enjoy history […]

Thea Astley: Selected Poems

If you like Thea Astley, you will like her Selected Poems (University of Queensland Press). However, arguably the book is more of an academic work rather than a collection of great poems. The poems serve a purpose, to provide an x-ray into her mind. It is an autobiography of her life in intimate moments. The […]

Green Shadows and Other Poems by Gerald Murnane

Green Shadows is the title poem and pervading spirit behind Gerald Murnane’s collection of poetic reflections and learnings in Green Shadows and Other Poems (Giramondo Publishing). Who is Gerald Murnane, recently described by the New York Times as “the greatest living English-language writer most people have never heard of” who could win the next Nobel […]