The 2014 Australian Womens Writing Challenge Wrap Up

It’s that time of year to wrap up the 2014 Australian Women Writers Challenge and I’m pleased to say I made a better effort this year than the measly three books I reviewed last year! And what a great year for reading it has been. Here’s the list of the 26 Australian female writers I reviewed:

     Just_a_girl by Kirsten Krauth

     Letter to George Clooney by Debra Adelaide

Banana Girl by Michele Lee

Like A House On Fire by Cate Kennedy

Beams Falling by P.M Newton

A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn

The Women in Black by Madeleine St John

The Mistake by Wendy James

The Poet’s Wife by Mandy Sayer

All The Birds, Singing by Evie Wyld

Tiddas by Anita Heiss

The Jade Widow by Deborah O’Brien

The Tea Chest by Josephine Moon

Girl Defective by Simmone Howell

Only the Animals by Ceridwen Dovey

Have You Seen Simone? by Virginia Peters

Wildlife by Fiona Wood

In Certain Circles by Elizabeth Harrower

Wild Things by Brigid Delaney

Game Day by Miriam Sved

Vertigo by Amanda Lohrey

This House of Grief by Helen Garner

Return to Coolami by Eleanor Dark

Whiskey Charlie Foxtrot by Annabel Smith

A Wrong Turn at the Office of Unmade Lists by Jane Rawson

Hades by Candice Fox

   Firstly, all twenty six were a pleasure to read and a testimony to the talent in this country. The breakdown of genres:

YA – 3

Crime Fiction – 3

True Crime – 2

Memoir – 2

Novella – 1

Classic – 3

Contemporary Fiction / Thriller – 9

Short Story - 3

I chose these books spurned by a wide range of reasons thus proving I’m quite haphazard in my book selection: some were from sight at the library or book shop, some from prize winning, some from hearing them reviewed on podcasts, many from reviews in the Sydney Morning Herald, some because the authors spoke at my local library, and yes, some from being mentioned on Twitter (so social media works!). I have to say, the few articles and blog posts last year where people claimed to find it difficult to read a good selection of Australia female writers were quite bizarre: I think there are far too many to choose from and you could spend all year reading quality fiction and non-fiction from the large pool of talented female authors. I’ll be returning to read more from these authors as well, particularly the thriller and crime writers.

So my most memorable five? Firstly, Letter to George Clooney by Debra Adelaide, a wonderful collection of short stories, all of them thought provoking and entertaining. Secondly, All the Birds, Singing by Evie Wyld which won the Miles Franklin Award over the ‘favourite’ Flanagan. I had read both before the award was announced and wasn’t surprised: I was quite affected by Wyld’s writing and found it to be an assured debut novel. Simmone Howell’s YA novel Girl Defective was charming; I thought it had beautifully drawn characters and a lovely narrative voice. Helen Garner's This House of Grief was number four because she’s brilliant, always. And lastly, Brigid Delaney’s Wild Things which had me thinking about the characters for days afterwards.

Looking forward to another great year of reading in the 2015 Challenge. Many thanks to those who tirelessly coordinate the website and run the social media - your work is appreciated.

*This is part of the Australian Womens Writers Challenge 2014


http://australianwomenwriters.com/