Isa
Administrator 
Posts: 6,995
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Post by Isa on Jan 11, 2007 20:51:42 GMT -5
I've just realized that we've talked about German literature and Italian literature, but we've never talked about Australian literature, and I can't seem to remember reading a novel that was set in Australia. Can you guys (Dom? Neh?) recommend good Australian novels/authors??
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Lu
Administrator
Posts: 5,469
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Post by Lu on Jan 12, 2007 9:48:59 GMT -5
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Post by Dominique on Jan 12, 2007 23:13:49 GMT -5
To be honest I don't read that many Australian authors, Markus Zusak who wrote the book thief is Australian though.
The most current popular Australian authors are probably Clive James, Tim Winton, Peter Carey and Bryce Courtney.
I find a lot of Australian fiction is genre fiction though, and I don't mind that kind of writing but there are so many other types I'm more interested.
Dorothy Porter who wrote The Monkey's Mask is Australian, it's a book written entirely in poetry about lesbians and a murder I think, it's supposed to be good. I have a copy but I haven't read it yet.
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Bina
First novel published
Posts: 2,472
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Post by Bina on Jan 13, 2007 9:07:10 GMT -5
I had to read Angela in school which I wasn´t too fond of. I´ll try to read sth by Dorothy Porter  |
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Post by Dominique on Jan 13, 2007 9:13:10 GMT -5
is Angela one of Dorothy Porter's? (sorry I don't know that much about her)
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Bina
First novel published
Posts: 2,472
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Post by Bina on Jan 15, 2007 16:24:12 GMT -5
Nope, I haven´t read anything by her. Angela is by James Moloney, I think.
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neh
Collection of short stories published by an independent editor
"I live in two worlds; one is a world of books"
Posts: 943
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Post by neh on Jan 15, 2007 17:10:46 GMT -5
In terms of fantasy fiction, we have Isobelle Carmody, who is bloody brilliant. Her works include the Obernewtyn Chronicles, which are pretty famous world-wide. In (good) teen literature we have Libby Hathorn ( a local - hurray!) who has written such gems as The Painter (very nice insight into Van Gogh through the eyes of another) and Thunderwith, and Melina Marchetta, who wrote Lookign for Alibrandi and Saving Francessca. For a nice list of some Aussie authors, looky here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Australian_novelists |
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lostgirl
First short story featured in regional newspaper
Posts: 132
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Post by lostgirl on Jan 19, 2007 0:52:38 GMT -5
I just finished a trilogy but Posie Graeme Evans who is an Australian writer. It's historical fiction: The Innocent, The Exiled, and The Uncrowned Queen
I also recommened Peter Carey. Actually a few of his books have been made into movies like Mary Reilly and Oscar and Lucinda. My personal favorite is Jack Maggs
In the YA genre I like Jaclyn Moriarty's novel Feeling Sorry for Celia
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Post by Dominique on Jan 19, 2007 5:50:09 GMT -5
One of the most popular Australian children's books is "Snugglepot and Cuddlepie" by May Gibbs, it's about some baby gumnuts (from gum trees, aka eucalyptus trees). It's the authors 130th birthday soon so there's some merchandise to do with the book being sold at the moment to raise money for charity.
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neh
Collection of short stories published by an independent editor
"I live in two worlds; one is a world of books"
Posts: 943
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Post by neh on Jan 19, 2007 19:14:34 GMT -5
Yeh - those are adorable stories. I loved them as a kid, and had lots of stationary and calenders of them. Also in the vein of great Aussie children's lit is Mary Poppins (yes, indeed; WE own the super nanny, would you belibe it?!) by P.L. Travers and a true Aussie classic in Blinky Bill (a cheeky koala) by Dorothy Wall.
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Post by Dominique on Jan 20, 2007 6:55:58 GMT -5
Banjo Patterson is probably one of our most famous poets.
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Bina
First novel published
Posts: 2,472
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Post by Bina on Jan 20, 2007 7:55:47 GMT -5
Oh, wow, I know Blinky Bill |
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neh
Collection of short stories published by an independent editor
"I live in two worlds; one is a world of books"
Posts: 943
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Post by neh on Jan 20, 2007 19:35:09 GMT -5
Hhehehe - yeh, it's just one of those things that it always takes a while to adapt to - like driving on the other side of the road (though that confusion could be potentially dangerous! Especially if it was me behind the wheel in a right-side country! Oh dear!!!)
With regards to Dom's post about Patterson, that reminds me of one of our most famous short-story writes in Henry Lawson, who composed such cultural classics as The Drover's Wife.
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fi
First poem written for Mother’s Day
Posts: 1
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Post by fi on Sept 28, 2007 2:40:44 GMT -5
Hiya! wow I feel the need to say
"Long time reader first time poster" ahhh the cheese
Being Aussie, I had to recommend one of my favourite aussie book's
"Looking for Alibrandi" Melina Marchetta
- it's a fictional story about an Italian girl in her final year of High school [it's written by an English teacher living in Sydney, so it's a amazing accurate in exploring the high school's in Sydney] and the trials and tribulations of exams and falling in love, while discovering family secrets - makes me a little teary eyed yet also provokes laughter
It’s apparently the most stolen book from school libraries in Aus…
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