If you're looking for a bit of light entertainment, and a way of seeing if you really have been paying attention all these years, then check out Harriet Vietch's literary holiday quiz in The Age - you have to match characters with the novels in which they appeared. I, needless to say, was hopeless.
Ex-patriate Clive James has been awarded a CBE in the Queen's New Year Honours List. Having not much interest in these things I was unaware that it is ony one step below a knighthood.
Ben Naparstek has left his position as editor of "The Monthly" and been replaced by John van Tiggelen. Naparstek has moved to the Fairfax weekly "Good Weekend".
The "Alien Onion" crew - aka the Allen & Unwin bloggers - are pretty enthusiatic about a few of their books coming out this year. Especially those of Garth Nix, Lili Wilkinson and Margo Lanagan. A very strong line-up indeed.
Everyone likes to makes lists of their best books of the year (eg James Bradley, and Kimbofo), but so far Chong is the only one I've seen who lists his favourite podcasts. I listen to a number of podcasts on the train on my way to work and yet none of Chong's are on my iTumes subscription lists. Might change that now.
John Baxter - an Australian in Paris - has written a number of biographies over the years. His latest is of J.G. Ballard, the new-wave sf writer who died in 2009 and who is best known for The Empire of the Sun (missed out on the Booker and later filmed by Spielberg). That biography has received a bit of critical lashing and has now been thumped by the late writer's daughter.
She left Australia in 1998 and now finds herself facing a huge list of Australian books she feels compelled to read, so kimbofo has dedicated herself to all literature things Australian by designating January 2012 as her Australian Literature Month. Results of her first week are now in.
Ex-patriate Clive James has been awarded a CBE in the Queen's New Year Honours List. Having not much interest in these things I was unaware that it is ony one step below a knighthood.
Ben Naparstek has left his position as editor of "The Monthly" and been replaced by John van Tiggelen. Naparstek has moved to the Fairfax weekly "Good Weekend".
The "Alien Onion" crew - aka the Allen & Unwin bloggers - are pretty enthusiatic about a few of their books coming out this year. Especially those of Garth Nix, Lili Wilkinson and Margo Lanagan. A very strong line-up indeed.
Everyone likes to makes lists of their best books of the year (eg James Bradley, and Kimbofo), but so far Chong is the only one I've seen who lists his favourite podcasts. I listen to a number of podcasts on the train on my way to work and yet none of Chong's are on my iTumes subscription lists. Might change that now.
John Baxter - an Australian in Paris - has written a number of biographies over the years. His latest is of J.G. Ballard, the new-wave sf writer who died in 2009 and who is best known for The Empire of the Sun (missed out on the Booker and later filmed by Spielberg). That biography has received a bit of critical lashing and has now been thumped by the late writer's daughter.
She left Australia in 1998 and now finds herself facing a huge list of Australian books she feels compelled to read, so kimbofo has dedicated herself to all literature things Australian by designating January 2012 as her Australian Literature Month. Results of her first week are now in.
Thanks for flagging up my Australian Literature Month, Perry.
Delighted to hear that John VT has been appointed editor of The Monthly — he won't remember me but we both went to the same secondary school in South Gippsland (he was a few years older than me).