Soothing the Savage Magician
The life of a professional magician isn’t always easy. There’s the death-defying, the hair’s breadth escapes, the daring what ordinary mortals would not. And then there’s the problem of skin care. Harry Houdini toured Australia in 1910. A tireless self-promoter, he embarked on a series of stunts to publicise...
Melbourne Writers’ Festival Schedule
And here’s my Melbourne Writers’ Festival schedule: Sunday 26 Aug 2012 3.00 pm – World Creation: How to Write Fantasy the Professional Way (workshop) Monday 27 Aug 2012 11.15 am – A Beginner’s Guide to Steampunk Wednesday 29 Aug 2012 10.00 am – 10 Futures Thursday 30 Aug 2012...
My Favourite Cultural Experiences
A few months ago, I was at the Radio National Melbourne studio and recorded a spot where I reflect on my five most memorable cultural experiences. It was aired yesterday and you can get the podcast here. ...
Writers Write: My Favourite Book 30
Claire Corbett The book that haunted my childhood was Elidor by British writer Alan Garner. An icy, grief-stricken story overshadowed by the twilight feel of Celtic myth, it was a short sharp shock after the cosiness of the Narnia tales I knew and loved. Elidor was the first book...
Mandarin Chocolate Cake (by request)
I’ve had so many requests for the recipe for this one, I thought I’d put it up here. Ingredients: 250g dark chocolate 250g unsalted butter 6 eggs, separated ½ cup caster sugar 3 tablespoons plain flour, sifted ¼ cup almond meal 1 tablespoon mandarin zest Preheat oven to...
Dystopias – Why So Popular?
Why Dystopias? I have two suggestions to explain the current popularity of dystopias/post-apocalyptic fiction, especially for teenagers. I understand that dystopic fiction and post-apocalyptic fiction are not necessarily the same thing, but they’re often conflated and I’ll settle for the combination term in this discussion. Firstly, I’ll offer the...
Writers Write: My Favourite Book 29
Jack Heath I have adored so many novels that I regularly change my mind about which is my favourite. On some days I will tell you that it’s Scarecrow, by Matthew Reilly. On others it might be Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, or Dan Well’s I Am Not A Serial Killer,...
Extraordinaires 2 is complete
All done and dusted! ‘Extraordinaires 2’ is finished and in the hands of the clever people at Random House....
Towards Inventing a New Genre
I don’t have to be hit over the head with a trade paperback – or anything else – to understand that it might be a little late to get onboard the Paranormal Romance bandwagon. And I don’t have to be Tased multiple times while trying to explain my stand...
Writers Write: My Favourite Book 28
Michael Wagner Dibs in Search of Self, Virginia M Axline I can’t think of any higher praise for a book than to tell you that this one made me sick! Actually sick. But in a good way … sort of. I was so deeply moved by this true story...