2016 has been a fantastic year thus far for new literary work. We’ve put together a list of some of our favourites you might want to check out. Explore. Discover. Enrich your mind. Many of these writers have been shortlisted for this year’s Miles Franklin Literary Award. All of them, you’ll find in-store or online at the Bookshop.
Charlotte Wood
You might remember our review a short time ago of Charlotte Wood’s The Natural Way of Things, a gritty, thrilling exploration of courage, power and the human spirit. Charlotte’s latest work The Natural way of Things has been shortlisted for the 2016 Miles Franklin award, and has won a slew of other awards too. Look out for her new work in August, The Writer’s Room which features a selection of interviews with Australian authors.
Tony Birch
Poet, short story writer and novelist Tony Birch visited CDU in May as part of NT Writer’s Centre’s Wordstorm festival . His latest work, Ghost River is a nostalgic, sentimental story of two boys’ friendship growing up on the banks of Melbourne’s Yarra river Banks in the 1960s. It’s a fascinating story of hope flourishing in tough times. Tonyis a frequent contributor to ABC local and national radio and a regular guest at writers’ festivals.[2] He is the first recipient of the Dr bruce McGuiness Indigenous Research fellowship at Victoria University.
Elena Ferrante
Elena Ferrante is best known for her four volume work known as The Neapolitan Novels which follows the lives of two girls trying to find their way within a violent and stultifying culture. What is most fascinating about Ferrante is that her identity has been kept a secret, shrouded in mystery and as a result speculation about it is rife in literary circles. Ferrante herself holds that "books, once they are written, have no need of their authors. Perhaps a clue to her identity lies in her works themselves?
Nick Bland
Award winning author and Darwin’s own, Nick Bland is a storyteller and author and creator of the very popular “ bear”series for children. His most popular works include The Very Cranky Bear, The Very Hungry Bear, The Very Itchy Bear and King Pig to name a few. Nick also works with Indigenous youth and hopes to combine his two passions of storytelling and helping young people very soon.
AS Patric
AS Patric’s debut novel, Black Rock, White City is turning heads for all the right reasons. The St Kilda based bookseller and author’s latest work has been shortlisted for the 2016 Miles Franklin Award and has received critical acclaim. The novel is a story of war torn refugees from Yugoslavia trying to make their way and adapt to life in suburbia in Melbourne in the mid-90s.. A.S Patric is an Award winning author, and his first foray into novels makes us excited for the next project
Lucy Treloar
Lucy Treloar was born in Malaysia and educated in Melbourne, England and Sweden. A graduate of the University of Melbourne and RMIT’s Professional Writing and Editing program, Lucy is a writer, editor, mentor and creative writing teacher and has plied her trades both in Australia and in Cambodia, where she lived for several years. Her debut novel Salt Creek is shortlisted on the 2016 Miles Franklin Award is a stunning portrayal of life for South Australian graziers in the mid-19th century, struggling with the challenging landscape as well the destruction of their own family values and the erosion of culture of the Indigenous Australians whose land they have dispossessed.
Peggy Frew
Award Winning author Peggy Frew’s latest work Hope Farm is a thrilling read. It delves into the minefield pf parenting, told through the eyes of a 13 year old girl. A true coming of age story for mother and daughter it’s underlying story of betrayal and tragedy is both heartbreaking and hopeful. In her other life, Peggy Frew is also the bassist for acclaimed Melbourne indie band Art of Fighting
Myfanwy Jones
Melbourne based Myfanwy Jones’ latest work Leap is a beautiful story about about human and animal nature, and the transformative power of grief. While at its heart is a searing tragedy, this haunting and addictive novel portrays an exhilarating life force, and the eternally hopeful promise of redemptive love .Myfanwy commenced her writing career subbing in a Saigon newsroom. Now, her latest work Leap has been shortlisted for the Miles Franklin 2016 Award and as well as creating short stories, non-fiction and novels she also mentors emerging writers for Writer’s Victoria.