Australian fiction
Return to Valetto by Dominic Smith
Readers may remember Dominic Smith’s 2016 novel, The Last Painting of Sara de Vos. In that novel, the sins of youth come back to haunt the present. It was a beautifully constructed novel of many layers and was embraced…
The Bell of the World by Gregory Day
When I started this book, I was reminded of my initial reaction to Peter Carey’s Illywhacker, still my favourite of his works – both are big and ambitious and suspend reality. There the similarity ends. This book brims with…
Funny Ethnics by Shirley Le
Western Sydney writer Shirley Le’s debut novel opens on a scene that feels familiar: a young 20-something sits in nervous anticipation, about to tell her parents she’s dropping her Law degree to pursue creative writing. You’d be forgiven for thinking…
Compulsion by Kate Scott
From the first page of this debut novel, the reader is hurled at breakneck speed into the machinations, romances and compelling compulsivity of Lucy Luxe and her friends. Lucy is a music journalist who’s thrown it all away (quite literally…
A Country of Eternal Light by Paul Dalgarno
Margaret Bryce is dead. Since her death in 2014, she has spent her time watching over the lives of her two daughters: Eva in Madrid and Rachel in Melbourne. She also checks in on her estranged husband in Aberdeen. When…
Higher Education by Kira McPherson
In Higher Education, debut author Kira McPherson introduces Sam, a young woman progressing hesitantly through five years of her law degree.
In an early vignette from primary school, Sam’s teacher takes her aside to express sympathy after her father’s…
The Matchmaker by Saman Shad
As a self-professed romance novel-holic, Saman Shad’s The Matchmaker captivated me from its first couple of pages. She delivers a beautiful love story, while also opening a door to allow us readers a peak into Sydney’s rich and vibrant Desi…
Little Plum by Laura McPhee-Browne
Little Plum journeys through the life of Coral, who discovers she is pregnant after a one-night stand. Early on, she decides to keep the baby, following her secret desire to become a mother, and yet she refers to it only…
Shirley by Ronnie Scott
Ronnie Scott’s first novel, The Adversary, was published in the unfortunate time of April 2020, one of many debut writers whose dreams of launching their book and appearing at events were dashed by what felt like endless lockdowns. Scott’s new…
Maggie by Catherine Johns
Maggie is a powerful coming-of-age story about the sudden transition from childhood to adulthood, the pain of losing one’s innocence, and of rebuilding oneself to keep on surviving for at least one more day.
Set in 1960s Australia, Maggie attends…
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