These days, blogging is practically ancient technology. But it is only in the past few years that the number one piece of advice given to writers wishing to nab a publishing contract is to have a blog. Blogging is a way for writers to showcase their writing style, connect with their readers and help promote…
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I’ve never read a book quite like Melissa Lucashenko’s Mullumbimby. With most books I read, there are aspects which will remind me of something else I’ve read, or make me think of another author I’ve read. And it could just be that because I’m still working my way through the millions of published books which…
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Neil Gaiman has been the latest person in the writing industry to speak out about the future of the book. As the article states, the audience at the London Book Fair weren’t all that happy about what he had to say. From my perspective, I feel as though finally, somebody well-known and established within the…
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I can only vaguely remember the first time I flew on a plane. I had just turned five, and I was flying to Darwin with my Mum and my brother. I remember being so excited about flying on a plane for the very first time, but that’s about it. I can’t remember anything of the…
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The whimsical image of a writer brings to mind thoughts of troubled souls shut away in dark rooms, with a piece of paper and a pencil, or a typewriter, pouring their creations onto the page in deep isolation. When the writing isn’t going, that doesn’t matter, the writer can take a walk, or indulge in…
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I’ve mentioned before that I love books with quirky titles, and of course Pierre Szalowski’s Fish Change Direction in Cold Weather is no exception. But what is even better than a book with a quirky title, is a book with a quirky title which actually resonates within the context of the whole story. Szalowski manages…
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I’m not a stranger to the blank expression I get from people when I tell them I studied creative writing at university, and then tell them I’m a writer. ‘You’re a writer,’ they say slowly. ‘So…you want to end up teaching English? What do you do?’ No. I don’t want to teach English. If I…
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I not only shamelessly judge books by their covers, but by their titles, too. I’m forever drawn to quirky titles, and What the Raven Saw by Samantha-Ellen Bound, was one of the most intriguing titles I’d read in a while. Add to that the beautiful cover artwork, and I couldn’t wait to rip open the…
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I was quite appalled to come across an article in the Guardian, where Horrible Histories author Terry Deary declares that libraries have had their day and they are no longer relevant or useful. In the UK, there have been a number of cases where local councils have considered closing public library branches in order to…
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By now, we all know the story of JK Rowling, who, at the request of her publisher, published the Harry Potter books using her initials, instead of her full first name. Her publisher believed the book would appeal to boys, and thought boys wouldn’t want to read the book if they saw a woman’s name…
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There are some books which stay with you for their amazing stories; some for their brilliant use of language. The ones which really stand out are those which combine both, and there is nothing more unsatisfying than to read a book which has the potential for both, but doesn’t quite reach the mark. Miral…
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Charlotte Dawson, Charlotte Dawson…it took me a minute to place the name on the cover of the book. Puzzled, I turned the book over and the blurb informed me she was a judge on Australia’s Next Top Model. That was the one! Yes, I’d heard of her before, but having never had Foxtel and only…
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Continuing on from my last column on whether or not writers should be paid for writing for the internet, this week I read an article about author Joe Simpson (Touching the Void), who decided to split from his publisher Random House over a dispute about ebook royalties. Random House were prepared to offer Simpson 25…
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Joumana Haddad is a truly a remarkable woman. Born in Beirut in 1970, she speaks and writes in several different languages, is an advocate for women’s rights, is studying for her doctorate on the Marquis de Sade and also teaches Italian at the Lebanese-American University in Beirut. I was so inspired after I read and…
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