In 2006 Robert Drewe, whose books – like A Cry in the Jungle Bar (1979), The Bodysurfers (1983) and The Shark Net (2000) – I admire, edited a collection of stories entitled The Penguin Book of the Beach. I wasn’t a contributor but I could have been...
It’s the first day of spring and to celebrate we’re giving away a copy of Rebellious Daughters: True stories from Australia’s finest female writers, edited by Maria Katsonis and Lee Kofman (reviewed today by Shelley McInnes). To go in...
The authors in Rebellious Daughters write about family honestly and without clichés. It’s been a while since, in My Mother, Myself, Wellesley College graduate Nancy Friday invited Baby Boomer women to reflect on their first impressions of life and...
A dystopian future, inventive language and an irresistible finish distinguish Briohny Doyle’s debut novel. This is an exciting and fascinating read, a very clever speculative dystopian novel set in a not too distant future. The world faces...
We lay under cover by the side of the road for the ambush and Paco passed me the wineskin which was heavy with the resin-tasting wine of that part of the country which feels good when it hits the back of your throat in a spurt but you must be...
The Game of Their Lives is a compelling account of Australian Rules football and the men who played it in a time of war. Central to this story is the exhibition match played between teams from the Australian Imperial Force’s 3rd Division and the...
