Suzanne Leal's Blog

The Year We Escaped Shortlisted for the 2025 ARA Historical Novel Prize - CYA Category

Dear friends,

Thank you all so much for your ongoing support of my latest novel, The Year We Escaped. It means the world to me.

I’m delighted to share that The Year We Escaped has been shortlisted for the 2025 ARA Historical Novel Prize – Children & Young Adult (CYA) Category, together with Moonboy by Anna Ciddor and The Midwatch by Judith Rossell.

The judging panel for this year’s CYA Category includes Dr Mark Macleod (Chair), Rebecca Lim and Belinda Murrell. According to Chair, Dr Mark Macleod: 

“This year's longlist indicated a generational change in the ways Australian fiction writers have conceived of 'history': from a provincial mindset of the great exploits of outstanding men seeking excitement elsewhere, through a parochial preoccupation with subject matter that was exclusively Australian, to now a more balanced acknowledgment of Australia - including its long First Nations history - in a mutually meaningful international context. Anticipating future developments, the judges noted that 'an international context', however, still means basically European. We encourage writers and their publishers to explore the potentially rich historical narratives of Australians who trace their cultural heritage back to countries in Asia, the Middle East and Africa, Latin America, North America, and the Pacific.

Perhaps the fact that this year's shortlist, and most of the longlisted titles, were written by women reflects the move away from patriarchal history. Perhaps, free of conventional hierarchies, women have been able to claim the space of what is historically significant in the increasingly diverse range of Australian lives. Whatever the reason, we encourage writers to explore more diverse modes of storytelling. It would be great to see more historical fiction for  junior readers and more novels using illustration to advance the narrative, as one title on the shortlist does.

The strength of this year's shortlist nevertheless points to an exciting future for Australian historical fiction.”

Winners will be announced on Thursday 16 October during an award ceremony to be held at the Sydney Mint.

I look forward to sharing more very soon!

Suzanne xx

Gail Holmes is my guest on Thursday Book Club tonight

Dear Friends
Thank you for all your good wishes for the publication of my new novel,The Year We Escaped, and to so many of you who came to my launch last Thursday and my other events over the past few weeks.  Last Thursday, author David Dyer launchedThe Year We Escaped with a beautiful speech - and the results of a very funny experiment with AI.  

Author, presenter and podcaster, James O'Loghlin, was the facilitator for our in-conversation event at  SMSA (Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts). We had a great discussion - if you missed it, you can listen to it here.

While on the subject of book launches, author and commentator, Ross Fitzgerald, and founder of the Comedy Company, Ian McFadyen, have asked me to extend an invitation to the launch of their new novel,Chalk and Cheese: A Fabrication,  on Tuesday September 2 at 5.30pm for 6pm at The Olsen Gallery (63 Jersey Rd, Woollahra). Chalk and Cheese: A Fabrication will be launched by the former prime minister of Australia, Tony Abbott.   

Gail Holmes, author ofIn The Margins,will be my guest on Thursday Book Club tonight.  Set in England in 1647,In the Marginsis the story of book-collector, Frances Wolfreston, and the risks she takes  as Puritanism takes over the country. It's a terrific read and I'm looking forward to my conversation with Gail.  Hope you can join us. 


Suzanne xx

PS  I've started a Substack account and will be migrating my newsletter across to this platform. The newsletter will still be free and I'd love it if you'd come across with me. Just search up my name on Substack.com to subscribe. Thank you!

London, lunch and a lonely mouth

So I’ve been in London.

The aim had been to hide myself away for a couple of weeks at a writers' retreat somewhere. My friend, Xinran, suggested I fly to London and stay with her instead.  Xinran is the much-lauded Chinese-British writer who came to international attention with The Good Women of China, and whose most recent work is The Book of Secrets. You might remember she was a guest on Thursday Book Club last year. 

I jumped at Xinran’s offer and had the best time with her, talking books and writing and life's big questions. During my time in London, I caught up with Tom Chalmers, head of Legend Press UK, and with my friend, Rachel Seiffert, who has a new book out, Once The Deed Is Done.  Xinran and I had lunch with publisher Christopher MacLehose whose new imprint, Open Borders Press, specialises in works in translation. Later, we caught up with Patrick Marnham whose most recent work, War in the Shadows: Resistance, Deception and Betrayal in Occupied France follows his biography of the French resistance leader, Jean Moulin. Both works piqued my interest as my forthcoming novel, The Year We Escaped, is set in wartime France.  

Just before the official release date, I’ll be launching The Year We Escaped at Erina Library on 29 May as part of the Words on the Waves Writers Festival. I'd love it if you could come. You can find all the details here. 

In the meantime, it’s only two weeks until author and journalist Jacqueline Maley will be joining us to talk about her new novel, Lonely Mouth.. I’m halfway through and loving it.  

Welcome back to Thursday Book Club!

I hope you've enjoyed the summer or, for those of you further north, the winter.  Over the break, the six of us - my husband (David), three adult sons, one thirteen-year-old daughter and I - spent a few weeks in New Zealand.  The trip's theme was something for everyone so we hiked the Queen Charlotte Track and, as part of a camping trip with a group of alarmingly athletic New Zealanders, canoed down the Whanganui River - despite my failure to steer the canoe in the right or, indeed, in any direction. We compared haunted house experiences, tasted the nightlife in Queenstown and visited family, including cousins with a pair of emus as pets and a 94-year-old aunt who entered the convent when she was seventeen.  

Those of you who know me well - or even just a bit - might agree that relaxing has never been my forte.  For me, a dream holiday is hiding away to write for ten hours a day. It was difficult to write while canoeing or hiking and for the first half of our trip, I chastised myself for being so unproductive.  Only in the second half of our time away did I stop even trying to be achieve anything much at all. I'm told that's what it means to relax. Despite the tumult of the world, I hope you, too, had some time to relax over the summer.

What better way to kick off Thursday Book Club for February than by asking you, my dear readers, for a small favour?  

Each year Dymocks asks readers to vote for their favourite books then publishes the list of the Top 101 books. It's a wonderful way to publicise and extend the shelf life of a book. Voting is now open and I'd love it if you'd consider voting for my novel, The Deceptions, which is included in the nominations here.  

The Deceptions is particularly close to my heart: it was released in 2020 on the first day of the nationwide Covid lockdown which, as you know, meant bookshops were closed and all book events cancelled. This made it difficult for The Deceptions to reach as many readers as we'd hoped - although by way of silver lining, it did spark my idea for Thursday Book Club. 

Having The Deceptions included in Dymocks Top 101 would give it another burst of life.  And if The Deceptions does make it into the list, I'll be celebrating with an in-person Thursday Book Club event...and you'll all be invited! 

I'd so appreciate your vote in the Dymocks Top 101 You can vote here

 
**** To vote in the Dymocks Top 101, you need to be a Dymocks Booklover. It costs nothing to join and you can register here.  


Suzanne xx


PS Bestselling author, Christian White, is my guest on Thursday Book Club in three weeks. He'll be joining us online on 27 February to discuss his new release, The Ledge.  Add it to your reading list and have your questions ready!
 

A summer of Thursday Book Club

Happy New Year!  

I hope you've had a bit of a break and that you're enjoying the summer - or winter - wherever you are. I'm about to head off to New Zealand for a few weeks of hiking and an introduction to canoeing (eek). While I'm away, bookseller, book reviewer and Thursday Book Club co-host, Katrina Davis, will be stepping in for me to host Thursday Book Club over January, starting this week.  Same time - 8pm Thursdays - same Zoom details - https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8521042343

Over the years, the booksellers of Abbey's Bookshop have partnered with Thursday Book Club to provide book reviews, some by Lindy Jones, some by Craig Kirchner and some by Greg Waldron. I was saddened to learn of the recent death of Greg Waldron, after an illness. Greg was the cousin of one of our regular Thursday Book Clubbers, Gillian Hunt. Gillian has written a short piece about Greg for this week's newsletter.  

I'm pleased to reveal that  our first guest for 2025 will be the internationally best-selling crime writer,Christian White. Christian will be joining us on 27 February to talk about his new novel,The Ledge. Save the date and addThe Ledgeto your summer reading list.
 

Suzanne xx

Author Liz Foster is my guest on Thursday Book Club on 28 November

The inaugural Words at Pearls one-day literary event, which took place at Pearl Beach on 2 November, was a great success. Rumour has it that a date has already been set for its return next year. Words at Pearls is an initiative of the Central Coast writers' festival, Words on the Waves, which keeps going from strength to strength. 

At Words at Pearls, I had a ball onstage with author, host, presenter, comedian and fellow lawyer, James O'Loghlin. Years ago, we worked as criminal lawyers at the Legal Aid Commission of NSW before James left to pursue a career in live comedy, television and radio. Oh, and writing - James' new novel, Liars, is his 13th book and first crime novel. It's a great story and if, like me, you're an audiobook fan, the audio version features a host of great narrators, including James himself. 

Next week, author Liz Foster will be coming to Thursday Book Club. Her novel, The Good Woman's Guide to Making Better Choices, is the story of Libby Popovic, whose golden life disappears when her husband is arrested for corporate fraud. Not only does this debut novel have one of my favourite titles for the year, it's also a terrific read.  Hope you can join us online at 8pm next Thursday, 28 November.

In the meantime, I'm looking forward to seeing you online at Thursday Book Club from 8pm tonight.  

Suzanne xx

PS  If you missed my interview with author, filmmaker and photographer, Paul Harmon, you can watch it on my YouTube channel.

Save the Date: Fleur McDonald is my guest on 7 November

I'm looking forward to your company tonight. After that, we'll be taking a break for a couple of weeks, returning on 24 October.  

On 7 November, bestselling writer, Fleur McDonald, will be my guest on Thursday Book Club. To give you the heads up, we'll be talking about her new novel, Shock Waves, if you'd like to make a start on it.

In the meantime, there's lots happening in the book world.  

Congratulations to Joanne Fedler whose new novel, The Whale's Last Song, was released yesterday.  You are all invited to Joanne's book launch on Thursday 10 October at Paddington Uniting Church.  Joanne will be in conversation with the fabulous Michaela Kalowski and you can book here. Hope to see you there!
 
From 25 - 27 October, I'll be appearing at Berry Writers Festival.  The program is great and you can find it here.  The following week, I'll be in conversation with author, comedian and presenter, James O'Loghlin, to celebrate the release of his new novel, Liars.  We'll be part of the inaugural Words at Pearls one-day festival on 2 November.  You can book here. 

Hope to see you online tonight.  If not, we'll be back on 24th October.  

Suzanne xx

PS  If you missed my interview with author, filmmaker and photographer, Paul Harmon, you can watch it on my YouTube channel.

Filmmaker, author, photographer Paul Harmon is my guest on Thursday Book Club tonight!

Paul Harmon is my guest on Thursday Book Club tonight. Paul is the author of Seven Treasures, a fascinating novel about artworks found in the attic of an abandoned house in rural France and the wartime mystery behind them. Paul is also a photographer and a filmmaker, notably of the television series, Police Rescue, and films including Shotgun Wedding and The Dark Room.  Join us at 8pm tonight to meet Paul and find out what made him turn from filmmaking to photography to prose. Just click on this link at 8pm: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8521042343.

Last week, BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival was busy and buzzing and all in all a great success! I interviewed debut crime writers Bruce Nash, Zahid Gamieldien and Mitch Jennings whose books are all terrific. Drop me a line to let me know if you agree. 

If you missed the festival last week or would simply like a bit more crime fiction, I'll be interviewing Chris Hammer at Woollahra Library next Thursday (26 September 2024) at 6pm.  Although Chris' new novel, The Valley, won't be in bookshops until 1 October, Allen & Unwin have made copies available for us on the night.  So, if you'd like to be first to read the next Hammer bestseller, come along to pick up your copy, hear from Chris on the joys and challenges of writing The Valley and join us for a glass of wine and some canapés.  You can book your ticket here.  

GIVEAWAYS - Courtesy of Woollahra Library and Gertrude & Alice Bookstore, I have a double pass to give away to the event.  To be entered into the draw to win tickets to Chris Hammer in conversation with Suzanne Leal at Woollahra Library next Thursday, please send me a book recommendation.  For an extra entry into the draw, add the name of your favourite Chris Hammer novel.  

Looking forward to your company tonight!

 Suzanne xx

Paul Harmon is my guest at Thursday Book Club on 19 September 2024

Dear Friends

I'm delighted to have filmmaker, author and photographer, Paul Harmon, as my guest on Thursday Book Club next week (Thursday 19 September). Paul's new book, Seven Treasures, is both a present-day art mystery and World War Two thriller.

Craig Kirchner of Abbey's Bookshop made it one of his recent bookseller's picks:

ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- In Sydney, Mark finds his life adrift - divorced and unemployed - and in looking for a way out, buys a fixer-upper in southern France. It doesn't take long before questions and secrets arise around Mark's newly adopted town of Villemont.  Paul Harmon's thoughtful novel moves between timelines of present-day and of 80 years ago, drawing on themes around provincial life in southern France, Jewish persecution and art theft during WWII, the plight of refugees - and a dash of internal life upheaval, starting over and finding love again. Craig

Hope you can join Paul and me next week! 

Space to Create is an artists' residency program located in Maroubra.  Together with seven other artists - painters, mixed media artists, writers, filmmakers - I have an office in the Space to Create area.  An initiative of Randwick City Council and Randwick City Libraries, it's been a wonderful way to both focus on my writing and connect with other local creatives. Space to Create: A Showcase of Randwick Artists is an exhibition of select works by my visual artist colleagues, Paul Wan, Vickie Liu, Harry Tolitsas and Dennis Golding. The exhibition is free to attend in the Lionel Bowen Library in Maroubra with an exhibition showcase at 1pm on Saturday 28 September. The showcase is also free to attend and you can book your ticket here.

BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival has begun!  Today, tomorrow and Saturday, the State Library of NSW will be buzzing with writers and readers alike. You can find the full program here.  For the session Fresh Talent: Danger, Danger Everywhere, I'll be interviewing three great writers: Bruce Nash (All the Words We Know), Mitch Jennings (A Town called Treachery) and Zahid Gamieldien (All the Missing Children). 

Congratulations to those of you who have already won tickets to sessions at BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival. Happily, I have more giveaways to my session and other sessions at BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival this Friday and Saturday. Just reply to this email with a book recommendation by 5pm tonight and you'll go in the draw. Good luck!

Hope to see many of you at the BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival - do come up and say hi! 

 Suzanne xx

Giveaways to BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival

Dear Friends

The soul - the subject of Paul Ham's new book, The Soul:: A History of the Human Mind- is an enormous topic and I could have spoken to Paul for hours when he was our guest on Thursday Book Club.  If you couldn't join us, our interview is on my YouTube channel (@suzannelealauthor).

Meanwhile, spring has sprung, heralding the arrival of BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival starting on Wednesday and continuing over four action-packed days,  You can find the full program here.  For the session Fresh Talent: Danger, Danger Everywhere, I'll be interviewing three great writers: Bruce Nash (All the Words We Know), Mitch Jennings (A Town called Treachery) and Zahid Gamieldien (All the Missing Children). 

In exciting news, I have more giveaways to my session and other sessions at BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival. Just reply to this email with a book recommendation by Monday 9 September and you'll go in the draw. Good luck!

Many of you will know - or know of - Joanne Fedler.  I was introduced to her by the late, great author Alan Gold who told me that I just had to meet her - he was sure we'd hit it off. And we did!  Jo's new novel, The Whale's Last Song (HarperCollins), is out next month.  In partinership with Gertrude and Alice Bookstore, Jo is having a book launch in Paddington on 10 October. She'll be in conversation with interviewer extraordinaire, Michaela Kalowski.  As a supporter and former guest of Thursday Book Club, Joanne Fedler has extended a particular invitation to all of us. You can find the booking details here.  Hope to see you there!


 Suzanne xx