Debating the utility and function of book reviews—especially the reviews in The Age, Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian—is a near constant presence in the contemporary Australian publishing field. These debates typically centre around three distinct themes: reviewers should not review the books that their friends wrote; who is the reviewer writing for (is it … Continue reading Unfortunately, Book Reviews Actually Matter
When I arrived from the UK and settled in Melbourne, I quickly learned to respect coffee and not to make jokes about AFL. I also noticed that Melbourne has an impressive network of local independent bookshops. But how have indie bookshops managed to survive in Australia when they have virtually vanished in the UK and … Continue reading Still Resilient? Can Indie Bookshops Survive Covid-19?
When I checked my phone this morning, I had a text from my sister. It was a video of her daughter – my niece – sounding out the words to her very first picture book: Mix, Mix, Mix, the engrossing tale of Bob the Bug baking a cake. Ordinarily, this is the kind of thing … Continue reading Book Club Zoom Rooms? Online Launches? Melbourne Reading Communities Adapt to a Post-Covid World
Melbourne is known as a City of Literature. The city hosts north of fifty writers festivals, with new ones cropping up every year. Melbourne is home to a plethora of literary journals and Indie bookstores. Writing competitions have become a sport for those who would rather flex a biro than a bicep. These opportunities provide a springboard for locals to expose their work – a tapestry of tales that enrich the nation.
It was 4:45 p.m. New York time, 7:45 a.m. Melbourne time, when my parents called and said, with an unmistakable tone of disappointment, ‘We think you should come home.’
The owner of Melbourne’s soon-to-be erstwhile Cherry Bar is hard to miss: after all, he wears a big hat. (Indoors? Indoors.) Although one doesn’t really make out faces from any stage, anywhere–unless there aren’t any faces all, delivering you from the challenge–trademark silhouettes travel well, in spite of distance or dazzling lighting. Impossibly, some manner … Continue reading A Lament to Cherry
Last year, author Robert Hassan gave up his connection to social media and embarked on a journey to find himself. He shares that journey in his new memoir.
Introduction I wanted to use this piece to explore my experience of being an outsider in Australia and look at how a false sense of isolation from world issues can prevent a person from perceiving the real-life issues around them. I used Mags to represent an extremely America-centric view, and Mira to represent a more … Continue reading The Head
In anticipation of Emma’s debut memoir Something To Be Tiptoed Around our social media and marketing team sat down with the emerging writer to probe into the inspiration for such a touching and artful experimental piece. What prompted you to write a memoir? Something happened and my memory got snagged on it. I mean … Continue reading An Interview with Emma Marie Jones
Yesterday evening, the Grattan Street Press team assembled in the Arts Hall at the University of Melbourne for our book launch on rediscovering the Australian Girl. The night began quite early for the students, who showed up hours before the event to begin setting up: we prepared the food and organised the space by hanging … Continue reading Rediscovering the Australian Girl: Book Launch Recap
