Thursday 21st March 2023 — 18:00 to 20:00 UTAS Inveresk Library celebrates Tasmanian Reads Week with ‘The Place that Made Us: Martin Flanagan in conversation with Cameron Hindrum’. Martin Flanagan explores what it is about Tasmania – its places. its stories, its people and its ghosts – that seep into the bones and the imagination…
Research journals and gatekeeping
Caitlin Cassidy, The Guardian, 10th March 2024 “We’ve set up a crazy system where publishers own and control knowledge and we’ve let them do that,” Foley says. “Researchers give content for free, sign over copyright, and publishers make a lot of money. “You can get rubbish, nonsense and misinformation online for free but you have…
More Margaret Drabble….
A throw-away line from her novel, ‘The Peppered Moth’ | ‘Bessie is a widow now, and she and Chrissie are … pretending to watch BBC nine o’clock news. (Bessie refuses, in company, to acknowledge the existence of commercial channels, though she has occasionally and inadvertently betrayed her acquaintance with them.)’
Omar Sakr, Jinghua Qian and Alison Evans — writers’ workshops cancelled
(Kelly Burke, The Guardian, 6th March 2024) Omar Sakr, Jinghua Qian and Alison Evans have been left to speculate on whether cancellations relate to their pro-Palestinian stances. State Library Victoria has cancelled a series of writing events out of concerns over “child and cultural safety”, leaving some of the participants demanding an explanation. More
Australian poetry
Winners of the 2023 Troubadour International Poetry Prize (1st Prize 2000 pounds, 2nd 1000 pounds, 3rd 500 pounds) have been announced. And of the three prizewinners and 19 commended, four are Australian – one each from NSW and Victoria and two from Tasmania, with the overall winner the Victorian (Jennifer Harrison). Not a bad effort….
Anne Elder Award —Australian Poetry announces Call-Out
KEY DATES FOR THE 2023 AWARD, for first books published during 2023. Open call for entries – Monday, 15 January 2024 Close of entries – Tuesday, 12 March 2024, 5pm (AEST). Books must be postmarked no later than Tuesday, 12 March 2024. Winner announcement – May 2024 Information and enquiries Jacinta Le Plastrier Email: ceo@australianpoetry.org…
The magazine Overland has been targeted for its solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
A discussion group that includes Australian writers, teachers and academics is campaigning to get an editor and academic sacked and funding withdrawn, in response to a literary journal’s publication of pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel articles. Messages from a WhatsApp group, which were posted to X/Twitter by Evelyn Araluen, appear to show an “urgent call to action” against Jonathan…
Seasonal Poets – The Summer Reading | Monday February 26th (Hobart)
Seasonal Poets returns to Hobart on Monday 26th February for the Summer Reading with poets Pamela Leach, Irene McGuire and Peter Jerrim. Seasonal Poets’ new venue is Fullers Bookshop 131 Collins Street and tickets are $10.00 at the door or via the Fullers website: www.fullersbookshop.com.au./events The $10.00 which no longer needs to be cash includes…
Koraly Dimitriadis — book launch, Launceston 29th February 2024
The TPF 2024 kicks off its first pre-festival event with a book launch by Koraly Dimitriadis – a Melbourne poet, performance artist, film maker and short story writer. Join us upstairs at 6 pm on the 29th February at the Plough Inn (lift available) 170 Brisbane St., Launceston to hear this wonderful and multi-talented woman….
Grace Yee wins at Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards
Huge congrats to Grace Yee (and Giramondo) whose debut collection Chinese Fish, published by Giramondo, was this evening awarded both the Victorian Premier’s Award for Literature, and the Victorian Premier’s Award for Poetry.
‘Into The Blue’ – Drever McCusker Woomble
‘Into The Blue’ … Recorded at Celtic Connections 2009, Glasgow,Scotland. Kris Drever, John McCusker and Roddy Woomble . Harmony vocals – Heidi Talbot
Julie Fowlis & Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh (2009)
The Hollywood Inn, Co. Wicklow: “Scottish Hebrides singer Julie Fowlis & Kerry singer Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh singing ‘Dá bhFaighfinn Mo Rogha de Thriúr Acu’ (0:00), Dhannsamaid Le Ailean (1:24) & Cairistion’ Nigh’n Eoghainn (2:16) with accompaniment from Éamon Doorley (Bouzouki) and Martin Ross (Guitar). This clip was recorded for the Geantraí music series on TG4…
Carol Patterson — short story collection launch, Hobart, 8th Feb 2024
Carol Patterson third collection of stories (22), Vanishing Point will be launched by the Hobart Bookshop at Irish Murphy’s, Salamanca, Thursday 8 February, 5.30pm. The band Sanctuary will accompany the event: all are welcome. ‘Carol Patterson deserves much wider recognition for her brilliant mastery of the short story form. Each story immerses the reader in…
Fourth Australian Haiku Anthology — Hobart launch, 16th Feb 2024
Hobart launch of under the same moon: Fourth Australian Haiku Anthology, at 5:30pm at Fullers Bookshop, 131 Collins Street, Hobart on their 104th birthday. The haiku readings by Watermeet haiku poets will be accompanied by the inimitable music of Michael Fortescue on double bass.
Update from Liquid Amber Press – 2024 publications, and beyond
(from Liquid Amber’s newsletter | 19th January 2024) Publications for 2024 – and beyond What an amazing round of submissions we had for the Liquid Amber Publication Call! Thank you to everyone who submitted – for your willingness to share your wonderful work with us. We would certainly love to have been able to publish…
Seasonal Poets Summer Reading — 26th February, Hobart
2024 is bringing changes to Seasonal Poets. Seasonal Poets will be partnering with Fullers Bookshop for each of its Seasons. The format will continue as it has always been, with three poets each reading for 20 minutes. The biggest change is the venue. After seven years at Hadley’s Hotel, Seasonal Poets will now be meeting…
Simon Grove’s ‘Seasons in the South’ (launched Hobart, 23rd Nov 2023)
Author Simon Grove, illustrator Keith Davis and Dr Sally Bryant AM joined in conversation to mark the launch of Simon’s new book ‘Seasons in the South’, at Fullers Bookshop in Hobart on 23rd November 2023. Simon Grove is Senior Curator of Invertebrate Zoology at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery in Hobart. He hails…
Booranga Writer’s Centre, publisher of literary journal ‘fourW’, loses Create NSW funding for 2024
The Booranga Writers’ Centre has been unsuccessful in it’s bid for annual funding from Create NSW under Chris Minn’s Labor government. This came as a real shock to the Booranga Committee as Wagga Wagga Writers Writers, to give Booranga its full legal title, has been operating for 30 years. Booranga serves its members and the local…
Alison Flett, published in ‘Saltbush Review’
Lucky. You have been so lucky with the chemo. Hardly any side effects until now. But this week, there’s not just the muscle-pain to deal with, the nausea has also been furious. Waves and waves, all through the day. And the fatigue! You’re hardly capable of looking after yourself. Making a cup of tea is…
Bruny Island Bird Festival — March 15th-17th 2024
The Bruny Island Bird Festival: Bringing together Science, Conservation, Community and Creativity to create three days of enjoyment and education about the birdlife of this wonderful island. Packed with new features as well as old favourites, there will be Expert Speakers, Birdwatching Tours & Walks, a Market Day, Art Exhibition and evening events to celebrate…
Andy Jackson, interview with Advocacy for Inclusion (28th Nov 2023)
Thoughtful responses from poet Andy Jackson, interviewed by Rob from Advocacy for Inclusion (28th Nov 2023), online at Buzzsprout. Rob, discussing Andy’s poetry collection Human Looking The poem that really struck me that I sat with for quite a bit was separation, and for me it spoke of the violence of surgical intervention and a…
… the Aran jumper crowd
… the Aran jumper crowd (Pat Carty, ‘The Sunday Times, 3rd December 2023) https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/shane-macgowan-the-man-who-made-irish-music-cool-gj0fvk505 (apologies, it’s probably behind a firewall) Rum Sodomy & the Lash made it into the UK Top 20 in 1985 and it was likely the first time most of us heard of them. MacGowan’s songwriting had taken a quantum leap and…
Metric — ‘Formentera’, live at the Fillmore Philadelphia (2022)
Metric — ‘Formentera’, from their 2022 album ‘Formentera’. Live at the Fillmore in Philadelphia, 2022.
2 paragraphs from Doris Lessing’s ‘Under My Skin’
2 paragraphs from Doris Lessing’s ‘Under My Skin’ (vol one, autobiography to 1949) Something else happened, which I have had to think about ever since. At a Mission in Old Umtali there was an afternoon’s fete, and black people as well as white wandered about under the trees drinking tea and eating cake. I had…
Liz Lefroy and Jonty Watt, a Tasmanian Poetry Festival event – 16th Nov 2023
Liz Lefroy and Jonty Watt – Launceston, November 16th 2023. Visiting UK poet Liz Lefroy Liz’s opening poems of the evening involved “that very British sport of queuing,” the first of which – “In the Queue in the Waitrose Cafe, I Meet My Love” – can be read online at Liz’s website, at Liz…