Sue Gough talks about the origins of The Nether Regions, the differences between writing adult and teenage targeted literature, about language, its limitations and power, her characters, on the creative process, on what she is reading, on teaching creative writing,…
A review of Sue Gough’s The Nether Regions
The Nether Regions is a marvellous novel, coupling linguistic beauty with humour, psychological fascination and intensity. Reviewed by Magdalena Ball The Nether Regions is Sue Gough’s first adult novel, but she isn’t new to writing. She has written 17 books,…
A review of Max Sollitt’s The Correspondence Course
How do we define good writing? Are there clear boundaries between writing genres, fact and fiction, history and theory, writing and criticism? These are some of the questions raised by Max Sollitt’s first novel The Correspondence Course, which defies its own definition…
Interview with Max Sollitt
The author of The Correspondence Course talks about the origins of his novel, finding a publisher, the changes to writing mores and processes over the years, his upcoming memoirs, and more. Interview by Magdalena Ball Magdalena: Tell me about the story…
Interview with Gail Bell
Gail Bell talks about the making of The Poison Principle, the book’s narrative style, voice, and themes, the Varuna Writing Centre, poison, on the need to work, and her next book. Interview by Magdalena Ball Magdalena: The Poison Principle is hard…
A review of Gail Bell’s The Poison Principle
Gail Bell takes the facts of this story about her grandfather, handed down through family folklore, hunted down obsessively in testimonials, newspaper clippings, bits of journals, and scattered artefacts, and turns it into a literary examination of the narrative of…
A Review of Helen Garner’s The Feel of Steel
Mastering a new sport, a musical instrument, having a grandchild, going through a divorce, or even taking a big trip, are all common scenarios in most people’s lives. These are ordinary moments, and that is why they are so wonderful.…
Interview with Karen Sedaitis
Interview with Karen Sedaitis The author of Soul Dark Soil talks about her book, the process of writing, the benefits of being published by a small press, on inner life, on the dangers of writing about subjects close to home, literary heroes,…
A review of Karen Sedaitis’ Soul Dark Soil
Humus-rich Food for the Soul: Karen Sedaitis’ Soul Dark Soil Sedaitis’ work gets under the reader’s skin; goes deeper than the details of her stories, and even when she is describing something ugly, like dismemberment, rot, abduction, physical, or emotional…
A Review of Richard Flanagan’s Gould’s Book of Fish
In its gorgeous use of language, its extraordinary structure, its ambitiously realised depths, and above all, the magic it works on its reader, Gould’s Book of Fish is a masterpiece. Read it for the interesting story, and find yourself, like Hammett, lost…