The Yellow Notebook
I have always admired Helen Garner’s works. As I peruse my shelves I recognise the ones that I loved and the ones that influenced me so much. ‘The Spare Room’ is ‘a ...
Crossing to the other side
Last weekend I drove down to Sydney from my farm, and crossed the Harbour Bridge to arrive on the other side…the Eastern Suburbs…almost a foreign land to me; the people look ...
The Peacock Detectives
This middle grade fiction was short listed for the Text prize and is Carly Nugent’s debut novel. The cover by Sophie Beer is appealing, with touches of glitter and sparkle. From the opening ...
A Stinging Tale
Facebook recently reminded me that 6 years ago I was attacked by a swarm of bees. I was mustering on foot, as the area was steep and the ground rough. Foolishly, as I came upon a cluster of ...
Reading and Writing
I have read many articles about how writers began their writing life. Some tell of how they began writing at an early age, sending off stories and poems to magazines and competitions and ...
Living with Nature
Sometimes the romantic notion of living close to nature has its downsides. Last night, we had a long blackout after a wild storm…no power, no fan, no air con, no phone, no stove etc so we had a ...
Write what you want to write
There are many writing hints and guides about, but I have this one above my desk. I apologise that I can’t remember where I found it so I can’t give the correct attribution. But I ...
Warrah Writers
I live in the Upper Hunter Valley of NSW on a cattle property and with my move from the city more than 15 years ago, one of the delightful discoveries was the existence of a lively writer’s ...