Writing Residencies

Eight lucky Australian writers have recently been awarded overseas residencies by the Australia Council. But are writing residencies all they’re cracked up to be? According to industry magazine Books+Publishing, Lisa Gorton, Robert Lukins, Fiona McGregor and Sandra Thibodeaux will each undertake a three-month residency at the BR Whiting Studio in Rome. Each writer also receives a $10,000 grant. Yassmin Abdel-Magied was awarded a six-month residency at the Keesing Studio in Paris, along with a $20,000 grant (which predictably caused the Murdoch media to have an attack of the vapours). Eloise [...]

2020-01-26T11:22:16+11:00January 26th, 2020|Writing|28 Comments

Tax – more interesting than you think

When it comes to Australian literary prizes – did you know that the prize money is taxable? Yes, you read that right. Next time you win the Miles Franklin, after you’ve sobered up from the after party and cashed your cheque for $60,000, the taxman will insist that you include your literary windfall as ‘income’ on your next tax return. But don’t despair. Big win at the horse races? All that cash is yours to keep. Take home the grand prize on a TV quiz show? All yours. Place a [...]

2020-01-13T22:26:42+11:00January 13th, 2020|Life, Writing|6 Comments

Kate Grenville’s new book

So some of you might know that Kate Grenville has a new book coming out this year. A novel. About Elizabeth Macarthur... Kate Grenville is, like me, one of Text Publishing's stable of authors and I've known for quite a while that this book was coming, and I wasn't quite sure how I felt about it. The novel will be called A Room Made of Leaves and according to Books+Publishing,"This extraordinary novel takes as its starting point the story of Elizabeth Macarthur in the infant colony of Sydney, but breaks [...]

2020-01-05T13:52:55+11:00January 5th, 2020|Elizabeth Macarthur, Writing|30 Comments

Speaking at SLNSW

I've been promoted! Apparently I'm now a member of the B-list which, according the blurb at the State Library of NSW is "an exciting, new style of book club hosted by the award-winning author and avid reader, Bri Lee. Each month Bri will be in conversation with a variety of authors previously shortlisted for one of the Library’s prestigious literary awards. After the talk, you will be invited into the our historic Friends Room to continue the conversation with your fellow readers." Bri Lee is the prize-winning author of Eggshell [...]

2019-11-18T12:04:20+11:00November 18th, 2019|Elizabeth Macarthur, Writing|5 Comments

And now shortlisted – OMG!

In my last post I was thrilled to announce that Elizabeth Macarthur had been longlisted for the 2019 CHASS Australia Book Prize. Now I'm even more delighted to announce that Elizabeth Macarthur is now one of the three books on the shortlist. Wow! I mean - just - wow. The other two titles on the shortlist are:  - The Bible in Australia: A Cultural History, by Meredith Lake and published by NewSouth Books  - Eggshell Skull, by Bri Lee and published by Allen & Unwin What outstanding company Elizabeth is [...]

2019-10-10T20:49:16+11:00October 10th, 2019|Elizabeth Macarthur, Writing|5 Comments

Longlisted!

I am absolutely thrilled to find that Elizabeth Macarthur has been longlisted for the 2019 CHASS Australia Book Prize. And she's in some pretty amazing company. The Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS) has announced the longlist for its prestigious 2019 Australia Prize for a Book (non-fiction). The Book Prize will be awarded to an Australian citizen or permanent resident whose nonfiction book, published between 1 January and 31 December 2018, contributes most to Australian cultural and intellectual life. The longlisted titles, from an entry field of [...]

2019-09-26T14:37:14+10:00September 26th, 2019|Elizabeth Macarthur, Writing|2 Comments

Life Writing Workshop

Join me, Hazel Edwards and Ray Mooney at a life writing workshop hosted by the Society of Women Writers. We'll be speaking about biography, memoir, family history and fact versus fiction. Author talks, panels and practical workshops AND lunch.  How good is that? When: Saturday 11 May 2019 Venue: Library At the Dock – Performance Space, Lvl 2, 107 Victoria Harbour Promenade, Docklands, Victoria 3008 Members $40 Non-members $60 (lunch included) Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/BBSEY What is the Society of Women Writers? I'm glad you asked. According to their website, the Society of Women [...]

2019-05-08T20:23:00+10:00May 8th, 2019|Writing|1 Comment

Shortlisted!

Surprised - and ludicrously happy - to find that Elizabeth Macarthur  has been shortlisted for the Ashurst Business Literature Prize. Some info about the prize, according to the website: Launched in 2004 by Blake Dawson and the State Library of NSW, the $30,000 Ashurst Business Literature Prize is acknowledged as Australia’s most important award for business writing. The prestigious prize was originally established by law firm Ashurst (formerly Blake Dawson) and the State Library of NSW to encourage the highest possible standards of literary commentary on Australian business and financial [...]

2019-04-12T17:45:23+10:00April 12th, 2019|Elizabeth Macarthur, Life, Writing|7 Comments

Random Thoughts About Author Talks

People are generous. My author talk at 'Clunes on Sunday' was chaired by a woman who had inherited her farm from her mother, who had inherited it from her own mother. She told me that mine was the first book she'd read in twenty years and that she'd enjoyed it very much. She also said - and I think this is the nicest compliment I've ever received about my writing - that it read like it was written by someone from the country.* People are kind. Elizabeth Macarthur's descendant, John Macarthur-Stanham, [...]

2018-06-19T22:14:35+10:00June 19th, 2018|Life, Writing|5 Comments

Speaking as an author…

I was afraid, when I began to do author talks, that someone would take me to task about this dubious fact, or that poorly argued inference. I thought they might interrogate me about my sources, or debate the validity of some of my suppositions. It hasn't happened. Not yet, anyway. What I AM constantly being asked is why, and how, I first became interested in EM. If you're wondering too, I wrote about the answer to that ages ago, in a post you can find here. Sometimes I'm asked about [...]

2018-05-27T19:02:02+10:00May 27th, 2018|Author Interviews, Writing|4 Comments
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