Suzanne Leal's Blog, page 13
November 25, 2020
Bestselling author Joanne Fedler will be my guest on Thursday Book Club on 17 December
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Dear Friends, On 17 December, Joanne Fedler will be my guest on Thursday Book Club and I hope you’ll be able to join us then. Joanne grew up in South Africa where she studied law before attending Yale University as a Fulbright scholar. On her return to South Africa, she set up a legal advocacy centre to end violence against women. Following her immigration to Australia, she pursued her long-held ambition to become a writer, publishing her first novel, The Dreamcloth, in 2005. Since then, she has written a further nine books, some of which have been published in the UK, Australia, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Croatia and South Africa. In Germany, Weiberabend (Secret Mothers’ Business) made it onto Der Spiegel’s bestseller list. Joanne is a teacher of creative writing and has recently set up her own publishing company, Joanne Fedler Media. As our December guest on Thursday Book Club, Joanne will be discussing her new novel, Unbecoming, which is the story of five women who discover secrets about themselves and each other when they spend a weekend in the wild.
Join me at Thursday Book Club on 17 December at 8pm when Joanne Fedler will be zooming in to talk about her new novel, Unbecoming, which is available in print,
e-book and audiobook and can be ordered from Booktopia:
https://www.booktopia.com.au/unbecoming-joanne-fedler/book/9780648937654.html
News
The 27th Scarlet Stiletto Awards will be held online at 8pm on Saturday 28 November 2020 and we are all invited to attend. You can find all the details here:
https://mailchi.mp/sistersincrime.org.au/scarlet-stiletto-2020?e=a96a9c0807
Hope to see you at Thursday Book Club
In the meantime, I’ll look forward to your company at Thursday Book Club this week.
Zoom in as you can – it doesn’t matter if you’re late or have to leave early. Just join my Zoom conference room between 8pm and 8.30pm on Thursdays by clicking on this link:
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8521042343
If prompted, here are the details to manually enter:
Meeting ID: 852 104 2343
Password: 886196
What is Thursday Book Club? Thursday Book Club is a relaxed, friendly book club connecting readers online. Each Thursday we meet on Zoom from 8 - 8.30pm. There are no scheduled books to read: we simply chat about books we like and books we’re reading. Every now and then, I invite a guest writer to join us.
Thursday Book Club Recommendations
My Recommendation
Life After Truth by Ceridwen Dovey
Your recommendations
Louise R
The Ruin by Dervla McTiernan
Bernadette O
The Trespasser by Tana French
An Unusual Boy by Fiona Higgins
Alia N
A Room Made of Leaves by Kate Grenville
Ravi S
The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue
Greenlight by Benjamin Stevenson
Barbie R
Son of the Brush by Tim Olsen
The Charleston Scandal by Pamela Hart
Libby G
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Noela A was the winner of this week’s giveaway.
Take care,
directly from my publisher here:
Kindle version
Paperback
The Deceptions Paperback
Audible Questions? Email me You can buy
The Deceptions
and
The Teacher’s Secret
on Booktopia. Suzanne Leal | suzanne@suzanneleal.com | | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2020 Suzanne Leal
Suzanne LealPrince Edward StreetMalabar, Nsw 2036Australia
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November 3, 2020
BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival - in person and online - this weekend
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Dear Friends, As I write this, the US election is imminent and across Facebook, there are photographs of shops being boarded up in case things turn violent. My thoughts are with everyone in North America over the coming days.
So, too, my thoughts have been with those of you in Melbourne who have been dining out, seeing friends, having a haircut or visiting bookshops. Thank you, once more, for keeping COVID at bay for the rest of us.
This weekend, BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival will take place at the State Library of NSW and on Sunday morning, I’ll be on stage with fellow novelists Alan Gold and Diane Armstrong as we speak to Michaela Kowalski about Auschwitz in fiction after 75 years. We’ll be discussing how the crimes of Auschwitz can properly be represented in fiction and whether they should be. It promises to be a fascinating session and I’d love to see you there. I’ll also be interviewing two terrific new writers: Anna Downes, author of The Safe Place and Natalie Conyer, author of Present Tense. You can find the full program here: www.badsydney.com.
Congratulations, also, to the following winners of tickets to sessions at BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival: Bernadette O, Louise R, Michelle F, Ravi S and Tricia K. News
The shortlisted novels for the inaugural ARA Historical Novel Prize are:
Master of My Fate by Sienna Brown
Shepherd by Catherine Jinks
Stone Sky Gold Mountain by Mirandi Riwoe
The winner will be announced in Sydney on the evening of Tuesday, 10 November 2020 on the Historical Novel Society Australasia Youtube channel.
You can find all the details here:
https://hnsa.org.au/ara-historical-novel-prize/
SPOTLIGHT ON
THE MARK & EVETTE MORAN LITERARY AWARD 2020
The winner of this year’s Nib People's Choice Prize Winner and the $20,000 Mark & Evette Moran Nib Literary Award Winner will be announced in an online event hosted by Benjamin Law on 12 November at 8am. I’m on the shortlist, together with Stephanie Convery, Rebecca Giggs, Brenda Niall, Imre Salusinszky and Quentin Sprague. If you’d like to join us online (and I’d love it if you did), please register for the event here: https://www.waverley.nsw.gov.au/recreation/events/events/nib/mark_and_evette_moran_nib_literary_award_ceremony
On Wednesday 18 November at 4pm, the Barbara Jefferis Award Ceremony will be streamed online via the ASA YouTube channel, in a celebration hosted by award-winning author Bri Lee. Bri will deliver a speech on the representation of women in literature prior to the announcement of the 2020 Award winner. You can find all the details here: https://www.asauthors.org/news/youre-invited-to-the-barbara-jefferis-award-online-ceremony
Hope to see you at Thursday Book Club.
I’d love to see you at Thursday Book Club this week. Zoom in as you can – it doesn’t matter if you’re late or have to leave early. Just join my Zoom conference room between 8pm and 8.30pm on Thursdays by clicking on this link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8521042343
If prompted, here are the details to manually enter:
Meeting ID: 852 104 2343
Password: 886196
What is Thursday Book Club? Thursday Book Club is a relaxed, friendly book club connecting readers online. Each Thursday we meet on Zoom from 8 - 8.30pm. There are no scheduled books to read: we simply chat about books we like and books we’re reading. Every now and then, I invite a guest writer to join us.
Fiona Higgins is my guest on Thursday Book Club on 12 November
I am delighted to announce that my guest for November is bestselling author, Fiona Higgins, whose new novel, An Unusual Boy, hit the bookshelves last week. You will know Fiona already from her novels The Mothers’ Group, Wife on the Run and Fearless, or perhaps she first came to your attention with her memoir Love in the Age of Drought. Fiona will be talking to us about An Unusual Boy at Thursday Book Club at 8pm on 12 November. I’d love to see you there!
In the meantime, join us at Thursday Book Club this week for a catch up about what we’ve all been reading.
Thursday Book Club Recommendations
My Recommendation
The Mechanic by Alan Gold
The Collaborato r by Diane Armstrong
Your Recommendations
Barbie RThe Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix
Red Lead by Roland Perry
The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home by Joanna Nell
Louise R
The Good Turn by Dervla McTiernan
The Dry Heart by Natalia Ginzburg
The Lying Life of Adults by Elena Ferrante
Bernadette O
Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan
Ravi S
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Greg W
The Good Teacher by Petronella McGovern
Consolation by Gary Disher
Either Side of Midnight by Benjamin Stevenson
Michelle F
Unbecoming by Joanne Fedler
Hazel H
A Room Made of Leaves by Kate Greville
The Blind Man’s Garden by Nadeem Aslam
Tricia K
Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld
Take care,
If your book club has chosen to read The Deceptions or The Teacher’s Secret, I’d be delighted to attend your meeting by Zoom (whether your group is meeting online or gathering together in person) to answer any of your questions. To schedule a date, please email me here.
You can buy The Deceptions and The Teacher’s Secret
directly from my publisher here:
Kindle version
Paperback
The Deceptions PaperbackAudible Click here for my Zoom Virtual Conference You can buy
The Deceptions
and
The Teacher’s Secret
directly from my publisher here
Kindle version
Paperback
You can also find more helpful links and resources on my website: www.suzanneleal.com Questions? Email me Suzanne Leal | suzanne@suzanneleal.com |
| Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2020 Suzanne Leal
Suzanne LealPrince Edward StreetMalabar, Nsw 2036Australia
Add us to your address book*|END:IFWant to change how you receive these emails?
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You are receiving this email because of your interest in the latest novel, The Deceptions
October 26, 2020
BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival giveaways... and the announcement of my next Thursday Book Club guest
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Dear Friends, It was terrific to welcome American author, Jennifer Steil, to Thursday Book Club last week. We talked about her evacuation from Tashkent, Uzbekistan at the start of COVID-19, about promoting a new book in 2020 and moving countries to a community of artists in the south of France. Her novel The Ambassador’s Wife is a terrific read and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Congratulations to Thursday Book Club regular, Donna W, who was the winner of a copy of The Ambassador’s Wife, which neatly coincided with Donna’s birthday!
I am delighted to announce that my guest for November is bestselling author, Fiona Higgins, whose new novel, An Unusual Boy , hit the bookshelves last week. You will know Fiona already from her novels The Mothers’ Group, Wife on the Run and Fearless, or perhaps she first came to your attention with her memoir Love in the Age of Drought. Fiona will be talking to us about An Unusual Boy at Thursday Book Club at 8pm on 12 November. I’d love to see you there!
In the meantime, join us at Thursday Book Club this week for a catch up about what we’ve all been reading.
I’m counting the days to BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival which will be held at the State Library of NSW on 7 and 8 November - yes, an in-person festival, with many events also live-streamed for those of you who’d like to watch from home. You can find the full program here www.badsydney.com. I’ll be discussing my novel The Deceptions with Alan Gold, Diane Armstrong and Michaela Kalowski in the session
Auschwitz in Fiction after 75 years
. I’ll also be interviewing two terrific new writers: Anna Downes, author of The Safe Place and Natalie Conyer, author of Present Tense.I have some terrific giveaways to the festival:2 tickets to my face-to-face session The Call of the South with Anna Downes and Natalie Conyer2 tickets to the face-to-face session What About the Victims? with Russell Oxford, Robert Anderson, David Balding (facilitated by Janet Fife-Yeomans)a ticket to the online, live-streamed event A Woman of Force with Detective Superintendent Deborah Wallace (facilitated by Mark Morri)a ticket to the online, live-streamed event Fresh Blood: New Writing with Greg Woodland, Petronella McGovern, Benjamin Stevenson (facilitated by writer Andy Muir) To be in the draw for these giveaways, simply reply to this email by Saturday 31 October with a book recommendation.
Hope to see you at Thursday Book Club.
I’d love to see you at Thursday Book Club this week. Zoom in as you can – it doesn’t matter if you’re late or have to leave early. Just join my Zoom conference room between 8pm and 8.30pm on Thursdays by clicking on this link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8521042343
If prompted, here are the details to manually enter:
Meeting ID: 852 104 2343
Password: 886196
What is Thursday Book Club? Thursday Book Club is a relaxed, friendly book club connecting readers online. Each Thursday we meet on Zoom from 8 - 8.30pm. There are no scheduled books to read: we simply chat about books we like and books we’re reading. Every now and then, I invite a guest writer to join us. Bestselling author, Fiona Higgins, will be joining us on 12 November.
Thursday Book Club Recommendations
My Recommendation
An Unusual Boy by Fiona Higgins
Fiona will be my guest at Thursday Book Club on 12 November to discuss her compelling, thought-provoking novel. An Unusual Boy is available in print, e-book and audiobook and can be found at your local bookshop, on Audible or ordered online at booktopia:
https://www.booktopia.com.au/an-unusual-boy-fiona-higgins/book/9781800485426.html
Guest Recommendations
Jennifer Steil recommends:
The Gringa by Andrew Altschl
Tomboy Land: Essays by Melissa Faliveno
Your Recommendations
Barbie RThe Night Letters by Denise Leith
(We were so engrossed in Jennifer Steil’s conversation, we ran out of time to swap other book recommendations - more this week!)
Take care,
If your book club has chosen to read The Deceptions or The Teacher’s Secret, I’d be delighted to attend your meeting by Zoom (whether your group is meeting online or gathering together in person) to answer any of your questions. To schedule a date, please email me here.
You can buy The Deceptions and The Teacher’s Secret
directly from my publisher here:
Kindle version
Paperback
The Deceptions PaperbackAudible Click here for my Zoom Virtual Conference You can buy
The Deceptions
and
The Teacher’s Secret
directly from my publisher here
Kindle version
Paperback
You can also find more helpful links and resources on my website: www.suzanneleal.com Questions? Email me Suzanne Leal | suzanne@suzanneleal.com |
| Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2020 Suzanne Leal
Suzanne LealPrince Edward StreetMalabar, Nsw 2036Australia
Add us to your address book*|END:IFWant to change how you receive these emails?
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You are receiving this email because of your interest in the latest novel, The Deceptions
September 23, 2020
See you at Thursday Book Club this week before we take a two-week break
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The People’s Choice Prize is open for voting.
Dear Friends, I’m looking forward to seeing you at Thursday Book Club this week before we break for the school holidays. I’m also delighted to announce American author Jennifer Steil as my next guest on Thursday Book Club.
Jennifer is the award-winning author of the novels The Ambassador’s Wife and Exile Music and the memoir The Woman Who Fell From the Sky. Since 2019, she has been based in Uzbekistan. Jennifer will be zooming in for a chat on 22 October and I’ll hope you’ll be able to join us then. We’ll be talking about her novel, The Ambassador’s Wife, which tells the story of a woman who is kidnapped while hiking in the mountains of an imagined Islamic country.
Thank you so much for all your support following my shortlisting for the Mark and Evette Nib Literary Award and subsequent nomination for the People’s Choice Prize. Voting for the People’s Choice Prize closes next week and it would be wonderful if you had a moment to vote for The Deceptions or one of other shortlisted works here:
https://haveyoursay.waverley.nsw.gov.au/nib2020peopleschoice/survey_tools/nib2020peopleschoicevotingform
Jennifer Steil is an award-winning novelist and memoirist who left the United States in 2006 to take a job as editor of a newspaper in Yemen, which inspired her first book, The Woman Who Fell From the Sky. She began writing her first novel, The Ambassador’s Wife, after she was kidnapped when pregnant with her daughter. That experience became the first scene of the novel. In 2012, Jennifer and her family moved to Bolivia where she met Jewish Bolivians whose families had fled the Nazis in Europe during World War II. Their stories inspired her third novel, Exile Music.
Join me when I chat to Jennifer at Thursday Book Club on 22 October 2020. The Ambassador’s Wife is available in print, e-book and audiobook and can be ordered from Booktopia here: https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-ambassador-s-wife-jennifer-steil/book/9780804171465.html
NEWS
Monica McInerney in conversation with Suzanne Leal
At 7.30pm on Wednesday 14 October 2020, I’ll be talking to internationally best-selling author, Monica McInerney, about her new novel, The Godmothers. This is a free virtual online event presented by Geelong Regional Libraries. To attend, please register here: https://events.grlc.vic.gov.au/event/4550511
2020 National Book Award for Translated Literature (US)
Iranian–Australian writer Shokoofeh Azar has been longlisted for the 2020 National Book Award for Translated Literature for her novel The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree. Narrated by the ghost of 13-year-old Bahar, the novel tells the story of a family of five compelled to flee their home in Tehran following the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Earlier this year Azar became the first Australian to be shortlisted for the International Booker Prize for The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree. Azar came to Australia from Iran as a political refugee in 2011, and the novel, her first to be translated into English, was translated from the original Farsi by a translator who wishes to remain anonymous.
Booker shortlist
The shortlist for the 2020 Booker Prize is:
• The New Wilderness by Diane Cook (Oneworld Publications)
• This Mournable Body by Tsitsi Dangarembga (Faber & Faber)
• Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi (Hamish Hamilton, Penguin Random House)
• The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste (Canongate Books)
• Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart (Picador, Pan Macmillan)
• Real Life by Brandon Taylor (Originals, Daunt Books Publishing)
Word for Word National Non-fiction Festival goes online
The seventh annual Word for Word National Non-Fiction Festival will move online this year and will feature a series of events including live conversations, panel discussions, workshops, and special presentations across three days from 20-22 November 2020. The full program will be announced and tickets go on sale Thursday 1 October.
Voting is open until 1 October for the People’s Choice Prize as part of the Mark & Evette Moran Nib Literary Award
All Australian readers can vote and it only takes a minute to do it. The People’s Choice Prize is a great initiative to bring more Australian writers to the attention of the general public and we appreciate your support.Vote Now
Hope to see you at Thursday Book Club.
I’d love to see you at Thursday Book Club this week. Zoom in as you can – it doesn’t matter if you’re late or have to leave early. Just join my Zoom conference room between 8pm and 8.30pm on Thursdays by clicking on this link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8521042343
If prompted, here are the details to manually enter:
Meeting ID: 852 104 2343
Password: 886196
What is Thursday Book Club? Thursday Book Club is a relaxed, friendly book club connecting readers online. Each Thursday we meet on Zoom from 8 - 8.30pm. There are no scheduled books to read: we simply chat about books we like and books we’re reading. Every now and then, I invite a guest writer to join us. American author Jennifer Steil will be joining us on 22 October.
Thursday Book Club recommendations
My recommendation
Less by Andrew Sean Greer
Your recommendations
Barbie R
A Dog Called Harry by Jill Baker
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
The Cakemaker’s Wish by Josephine Moon
Night Lessons in Little Jerusalem by Rick Held
Ravi S
The Returns by Philip Salom
The Girl in Kellers Way by Megan Goldin
Daddy Cool by Darleen Bungey
Silver by Chris Hammer
When Rain Turns to Snow by Jane Godwin
The Beautiful Mother by Katherine Scholes
Bernadette O
The Discomfort of Evening by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
Stephanie W
Bruny by Heather Rose
The Briny Cafe by Susan Duncan
The Writing Class by Stephanie Johnson
Elizabeth E
Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
The Fragments by Toni Jordan
Take care,
PS. Would you like me to drop in to your book club?
If your book club has chosen to read The Deceptions or The Teacher’s Secret, I’d be delighted to attend your meeting by Zoom (whether your group is meeting online or gathering together in person) to answer any of your questions. To schedule a date, please email me here.
Click here for my Zoom Virtual Conference You can buy The Deceptions and The Teacher’s Secretdirectly from my publisher here
Kindle version
Paperback
Or more helpful links and resources on my website: www.suzanneleal.com Questions? Email me Suzanne Leal | suzanne@suzanneleal.com |
| Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2020 Suzanne Leal
Suzanne LealPrince Edward StreetMalabar, Nsw 2036Australia
Add us to your address book*|END:IFWant to change how you receive these emails?
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You are receiving this email because of your interest in the latest novel, The Deceptions
September 16, 2020
The magic of online writers festivals
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The People’s Choice Prize is open for voting.
Dear Friends, A year ago, Zoom was a stranger to me. Not anymore. Since March, Zoom has worked its way into most parts of my life. On Zoom, I’ve conducted work meetings and by Zoom, I’ve met with my other panel judges to decide the longlists and shortlists and winners for the literary awards we’ve been deciding (more of that over the coming weeks!) Since starting Thursday Book Club in April this year, it’s on Zoom that I’ve made many new book-loving friends. And on Sunday night, to celebrate the final event of the online writers festival BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival GOES INTERNATIONAL, I was invited to my very first Zoom party. I’m a board member of BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival and I met with the other board numbers to watch bestselling crime writer, Ann Cleeves, in conversation with our own Mark Tredinnick. It was such a great way to be part of this fascinating discussion with the creator of the much-loved Vera Stanthorpe and Shetland Island novels. And for those of you who enjoyed The Long Call - the first in Ann Cleeve’s new Two Rivers series - the good news is that a second novel is well on its way.
News
Congratulations to those writers shortlisted for the 2020 Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction
The Animals In That Country (Laura Jean McKay, Scribe)
Dolores (Lauren Aimee Curtis, W&N)
Lucky Ticket (Joey Bui, Text)
A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing (Jessie Tu, A&U)
Smart Ovens for Lonely People (Elizabeth Tan, Brio)
The House of Youssef (Yumna Kassab, Giramondo)
The seventh annual Word for Word National Non-Fiction Festival will move online this year and will feature a series of events including live conversations, panel discussions, workshops, and special presentations across three days from 20-22 November 2020. The full program will be announced and tickets go on sale Thursday 1 October.
[image error]
Voting is open for the People’s Choice Prize as part of the Mark & Evette Moran Nib Literary Award
All Australian readers can vote and it only takes a minute to do it. The People’s Choice Prize is a great initiative to bring more Australian writers to the attention of the general public and we appreciate your support.Vote Now
Hope to see you at Thursday Book Club.
I’d love to see you at Thursday Book Club this week. Zoom in as you can – it doesn’t matter if you’re late or have to leave early. Just join my Zoom conference room between 8pm and 8.30pm on Thursdays by clicking on this link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8521042343
If prompted, here are the details to manually enter:
Meeting ID: 852 104 2343
Password: 886196
What is Thursday Book Club? Thursday Book Club is a relaxed, friendly book club connecting readers online. Each Thursday we meet on Zoom from 8 - 8.30pm. There are no scheduled books to read: we simply chat about books we like and books we’re reading. Every now and then, I invite a guest writer to join us. Last week Leah Kaminsky was our guest and I’ll be announcing our next guest in the coming weeks.
Book recommendations
My recommendation
The Fragments by Toni JordanYour recommendations
Bernadette OThe Golden Age by Joan London
Eggskull Shell by Bri Lee
Normal People by Sally Rooney
The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donahue
Milkman by Anna Burns
Helen J
Damascus by Christos Tsiolkas
Barbie R
The Good Teacher by Petronella McGovern
Grandma’s Knicker Tree by Barbie Robinson (congratulations Barbie!) Sally C
Veritas by Ariel Sabar Elizabeth E
Nothing Can Hurt You by Nicola May Goldberg
Summer by Ali Smith Ravi S How Much of These Hills Is Gold by C Pam Zhang
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
Take care,
PS. Would you like me to drop in to your book club?
If your book club has chosen to read The Deceptions or The Teacher’s Secret, I’d be delighted to attend your meeting by Zoom (whether your group is meeting online or gathering together in person) to answer any of your questions. To schedule a date, please email me here.
Click here for my Zoom Virtual Conference You can buy The Deceptions and The Teacher’s Secretdirectly from my publisher here
Kindle version
Paperback
Or more helpful links and resources on my website: www.suzanneleal.com Questions? Email me Suzanne Leal | suzanne@suzanneleal.com |
| Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2020 Suzanne Leal
Suzanne LealPrince Edward StreetMalabar, Nsw 2036Australia
Add us to your address book*|END:IFWant to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.
You are receiving this email because of your interest in the latest novel, The Deceptions
September 7, 2020
Leah Kaminsky comes to Thursday Book Club.. and some good news
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Have you read Leah Kaminsky’s new book The Hollow Bones? [image error] Dear Friends,
As many of you will know, the Mark and Evette Moran Nib Literary Award (‘the Nib’) celebrates excellence in research and writing in Australia, and I’m delighted to announce that my novel The Deceptions is on this year’s shortlist.
My fellow shortlisted writers and I will each receive the Alex Buzo Shortlist Prize of $1000. Alex Buzo was, of course, the celebrated Australian playwright, whose works include Norm and Ahmed and Coralie Lansdowne Says No. Everyone on the Nib shortlist will also go into the running for the People’s Choice Award, which is open to voting by the public. If you’d like to cast your vote for the People’s Choice Award, you can do it here (*please note when asked for your postcode you should instead search for your suburb):
https://haveyoursay.waverley.nsw.gov.au/nib2020peopleschoice/survey_tools/nib2020peopleschoicevotingform
Mark and Evette Moran Nib Literary Award 2020 Shortlist
Thursday Book Club welcomes a special guest!
Writer and physician, Leah Kaminsky, is no stranger to literary prizes. Her most recent work, The Hollow Bones, won the 2019 International Book Award in both Literary Fiction & Historical Fiction categories and the 2019 Best Book Award for Literary Fiction.
Join me at Thursday Book Club this week when I’ll be talking to Leah about writing and medicine in the midst of a pandemic. You may use the chat room to ask Leah questions or share your insights with us.
I’d love to see you at Thursday Book Club this week. Zoom in as you can – it doesn’t matter if you’re late or have to leave early. Just join my Zoom conference room between 8pm and 8.30pm on Thursdays by clicking on this link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8521042343
If prompted, here are the details to manually enter:
Meeting ID: 852 104 2343
Password: 886196
What is Thursday Book Club?
Thursday Book Club is a relaxed, friendly book club connecting readers online. Each Thursday we meet on Zoom from 8 - 8.30pm. There are no scheduled books to read: we simply chat about books we like and books we’re reading. Every now and then, I invite a guest writer to join us.
NEWS
BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival GOES INTERNATIONAL, which will be held from 10-13 September, is an online festival featuring some of the world’s most popular crime writers – Ann Cleeves, Jo Nesbø and Don Winslow amongst them. You can register for BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival GOES INTERNATIONAL here https://www.badsydney.com/
To go in the draw for a free ticket to one of these fabulous online sessions, simply reply to this email with your crime novel recommendations.
The winner will be chosen at Thursday Book Club this week.
See Belinda Alexandra in conversation with Sue Lawson at 7.30pm on 16 September
Join Geelong Regional Libraries for one of its free, popular online author events.
Belinda Alexandra will be discussing her latest novel, The Mystery Woman, with Geelong author Sue Lawson. Click here for more details.
The Rose Scott Women Writers’ Festival will be held online on 19 September.
You ‘ll find the full program here: http://www.rswwf.com.au/
Sydney Jewish Writers Festival is on until 14 September.
You can find the full program here: https://www.shalom.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/SJWF-programbookletfinal.pdf
Book recommendations
My recommendation
The Hollow Bones by Leah Kaminsky
She I Dare Not Name by Donna Ward
Your recommendations
Bernadette O – Glimpses of Utopia: Real Ideas for a Fairer World by Jess Scully
Redhead by the Side of the Road by Anne Tyler
Donna W – Greek Virginity by Guilia Sissa
Helen J – The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel
The Motion of the Body Through Space by Lionel Shiver
So Much for That by Lionel Shriver
The Swerve by Stephen Greenblatt
The Lives of the Artists by Giorgio Vasari
Barbie R – The Trespassers by Meg Mundell
The Happiest Man on Earth by Eddie Jaku
Mallacoota Time by Milena Cifali
Hope to see you at Thursday Book Club.
Just join my Zoom conference room at 8pm on Thursdays by clicking on this link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8521042343
If prompted, here are the details to manually enter:
Meeting ID: 852 104 2343
Password: 886196
,Take care
PS. Would you like me to drop in to your book club?
If your book club has chosen to read The Deceptions or The Teacher’s Secret, I’d be delighted to attend your meeting by Zoom (whether your group is meeting online or gathering together in person) to answer any of your questions. To schedule a date, please email me here.
You can buy The Deceptions and The Teacher’s Secret
directly from my publisher here
Kindle version
Paperback
The Deceptions Paperback
Audible visit my new website Questions? Email me Click here for my Zoom Virtual Conference Suzanne Leal | www.suzanneleal.com | suzanne@suzanneleal.com | | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2020 Suzanne Leal
Suzanne LealPrince Edward StreetMalabar, Nsw 2036Australia
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August 26, 2020
Curating Festivals in the time of COVID-19
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Have you read Leah Kaminsky’s new book The Hollow Bones? [image error] Dear Friends,
For me, uncertainty has been the hallmark of 2020. Uncertainty as to which parts of our lives will continue as usual and which parts will be subject to change; which events will proceed as planned, which will be cancelled and which will be modified.
Dealing with uncertainty can be difficult and in times like these, resilience, flexibility, quick thinking and creativity are called for.
For possessing and making use of all these qualities, I’d like to congratulate the team behind Canberra Writers Festival who successfully negotiated the raft of COVID-19 based challenges thrown at them to curate an exciting and stimulating festival that was one part live and one part online.
My congratulations, also, to Catherine du Peloux Menagé, artistic director of BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival. I’m a board member of this festival which was to have taken place at the State Library of NSW in early September. When COVID-19 restrictions made this impossible, quick-thinking Catherine came up with a most magnificent solution: instead of one BAD festival, there would be two. BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival LIVE will now be held from 5-8 November, while BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival GOES INTERNATIONAL, an online festival featuring some of the world’s most popular crime writers – Ann Cleeves, Jo Nesbø and Don Winslow amongst them - will be held on 10-13 September.
You can register for BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival GOES INTERNATIONAL here:https://www.badsydney.com/
To go in the draw for a free ticket to one of these fabulous online sessions, simply reply to this email with your crime novel recommendations.
I’d love to see you at Thursday Book Club this week. Zoom in as you can – it doesn’t matter if you’re late or have to leave early. Just join my Zoom conference room between 8pm and 8.30pm on Thursdays by clicking on this link:
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8521042343
If prompted, here are the details to manually enter:
Meeting ID: 852 104 2343
Password: 886196
What is Thursday Book Club?
Thursday Book Club is a relaxed, friendly book club connecting readers online. Each Thursday we meet on Zoom from 8 - 8.30pm. There are no scheduled books to read: we simply chat about books we like and books we’re reading. Every now and then, I invite a guest writer to join us. On 3 September, we’ll be welcoming Leah Kaminsky (author of The Hollow Bones) to talk about what it’s like to be a writer and a doctor in the midst of the pandemic.
Suzanne’s guest
Leah Kaminsky is a physician and award-winning writer. Her debut novel The Waiting Room won the Voss Literary Prize and was shortlisted for the Helen Asher Award.
Leah has come to even greater acclaim with her new book The Hollow Bones which won the 2019 International Book Award in both Literary Fiction & Historical Fiction categories and the 2019 Best Book Award for Literary Fiction.
Join me when I chat to Leah at Thursday Book Club on 3 September
NEWS
Michael Williams, former director of The Wheeler Centre, has been appointed artistic director for the 2021 Sydney Writers’ Festival. Michael brings an enormous expertise to the role and I’ll be excited to see what he has in store for us next year.
The Rose Scott Women Writers’ Festival will be held online on 19 September. You ‘ll find the full program here: http://www.rswwf.com.au/
The shortlist for the NSW Premier’s History Awards was released earlier this month and the winners will be announced on 4 September.
Here’s a selection of the shortlisted titles.
Australian history prize
Bedlam at Botany Bay (James Dunk, NewSouth)British India, White Australia: Overseas Indians, intercolonial relations and the empire (Kama Maclean, NewSouth)The Shelf Life of Zora Cross (Cathy Perkins, Monash University Publishing)General history prize
Amboina 1623: Fear and conspiracy on the edge of empire (Adam Clulow, Columbia University Press)The Warrior, the Voyager, and the Artist: Three lives in an age of empire (Kate Fullagar, Yale University Press)Sundowner of the Skies: The story of Oscar Garden, the forgotten aviator (Mary Garden, New Holland)Young people’s history prize
Pirate Boy of Sydney Town (Jackie French, HarperCollins)The Good Son: A story from the First World War, told in miniature (Pierre-Jacques Ober, Jules Ober & Felicity Coonan, Candlewick Press)Haywire—The Dunera Boys: Australia’s Second World War #2 (Claire Saxby, Scholastic)
You can view the full list of shortlisted works here:
https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/awards/nsw-premiers-history-awards.
Books recommendations
My recommendation
The Godmother by Hannelore Cayre
Your recommendations
Bernadette O – Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton
The Nickelboys by Colson Whitehead
A Room Made of Leaves by Kate Grenville
Bruny by Heather Rose
Greg W – The White Girl by Tony Birch
Sofie L – The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
Libby G– The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Hope to see you at Thursday Book Club.
Just join my Zoom conference room at 8pm on Thursdays by clicking on this link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8521042343
If prompted, here are the details to manually enter:
Meeting ID: 852 104 2343
Password: 886196
,Take care
PS. Would you like me to drop in to your book club?
If your book club has chosen to read The Deceptions or The Teacher’s Secret, I’d be delighted to attend your meeting by Zoom (whether your group is meeting online or gathering together in person) to answer any of your questions. To schedule a date, please email me here.
You can buy The Deceptions and The Teacher’s Secret
directly from my publisher here
Kindle version
Paperback
The Deceptions PaperbackAudible visit my new website Questions? Email me Click here for my Zoom Virtual Conference Suzanne Leal | www.suzanneleal.com | suzanne@suzanneleal.com | | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2020 Suzanne Leal
Suzanne LealPrince Edward StreetMalabar, Nsw 2036Australia
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August 5, 2020
What books have sustained you this year?
NewsGreg Woodland in conversation with Suzanne Leal - presented by Avid ReaderThis Wednesday at 6.30pm, I’ll be interviewing Greg Woodland about his compelling new crime novel, The Night Whistler. This free online event is presented by Avid Reader bookstore and you can register for it here: https://avidreader.com.au/events/greg-woodland-the-night-whistler
Melbourne Writers Festival (7-16 August 2020)MWF DigitalMelbourne Writers Festival has curated a terrific series of online events that you watch from 7-16 August 2020. You can find the full program here: https://mwf.com.au/mwf-digital/
SHE I DARE NOT NAMEDonna Ward in conversation with Suzanne LealCanberra Writers Festival Thursday 13 August 202012.30PM – 1.30PM
Donna Ward’s memoir She I Dare Not Name is a terrific read. As part of Canberra Writers Festival, I’ll be in conversation with Donna online. You can register for the event here: https://www.canberrawritersfestival.com.au/event/she-i-dare-not-name
Have a look at the full program for Canberra Writers Festival here: https://www.canberrawritersfestival.com.au/program/2020
My recommendation
I’ve been thinking about books that have nurtured me and, in that vein, this week’s recommendation is Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey. When the author is bedridden through illness, a woodland snail takes up residence beside her. What follows is the most beautiful meditation on resilience and fortitude and survival.
Your recommendations
Ravi S – In Darkness Visible by Tony JonesDark Emu by Bruce PascoeThe Two Popes by Anthony McCartenPenny Wong by Margaret Simons
Barbie R – The Museum of Forgotten Memories by Anstey HarrisPaul Kelly: The man, the music and the life in between by Stuart CoupeThe Housesitter by Jeanie GreenA Bookshop in Algiers by Kaouther Adimi
Cristina H – History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund
Take care,
PS. Would you like me to drop in to your book club?If your book club has chosen to read The Deceptions or The Teacher’s Secret, I’d be delighted to attend your meeting by Zoom (whether your group is meeting online or gathering together in person) to answer any of your questions. To schedule a date, please email me here. Questions? Email me Click here for my Zoom Virtual Conference You can buy The Deceptions and The Teacher’s Secret directly from my publisher here.
The Deceptions PaperbackAmazon Paperback Kindle
Audible Audible Audiobook Suzanne Leal | www.suzanneleal.com | suzanne@suzanneleal.com || Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2020 Suzanne Leal
Suzanne LealPrince Edward StreetMalabar, Nsw 2036Australia
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You are receiving this email because of your interest in the latest novel, The Deceptions
July 22, 2020
The kids are back at school and Thursday Book Club is back this week!
I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone again to hear about your holiday (or not holiday) reads. Please join us at 8pm tomorrow for half an hour of relaxed conversation about books and reading.
Drop in as you can – it doesn’t matter if you’re late or have to leave early. Just join my Zoom conference room at 8pm on Thursday by clicking on this link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8521042343If prompted, here are the details to manually enter:Meeting ID: 852 104 2343Password: 886196
Over the past couple of weeks, there’s been a lot happening in the literary community. Here are some of the highlights:
Miles Franklin Literary Award winnerLast week, Tara June Winch won the Miles Franklin Literary Award for her novel, The Yield, which was described by the judges as ‘haunting and accomplished.’ A story of colonial violence and environmental destruction told through the eyes of a young Wiradjuri woman, her now-deceased grandfather and a well-meaning minister of the church, The Yield is also a celebration of family, of resilience and of the power of the Wiradjuri language.
National Biography Awards shortlist
The shortlist for the National Biography Awards has also been announced and here is it: Beyond Words: A Year with Kenneth Cook by Jacqueline Kent (UQP) Hearing Maud by Jessica White (UWA Publishing) Idling in Green Places: A Life of Alec Chisholm by Russell McGregor (Australian Scholarly Publishing) The Girls by Chloe Higgins (Picador Australia) Things Nobody Knows But Me by Amra Pajalić (Transit Lounge) Tiberius with a Telephone: The Life and Stories of William McMahon by Patrick Mullins (Scribe Publications)
I’m yet to read the other titles, but can highly recommend The Girls by Chloe Higgins. Email me with your thoughts on the shortlist and I’ll add your recommendations to next week’s newsletter.
People’s Choice Queensland Book of the Year AwardVoting is now open for The Courier-Mail People’s Choice Queensland Book of the Year Award. The books vying for the title are:A Lifetime of Impossible Days by Tabitha Bird (Penguin Random House) The Kowloon Kid by Phil Brown (Transit Lounge) A River with a City Problem by Margaret Cook (UQP) Feeding the Birds at Your Table by Darryl Jones (NewSouth Publishing) Meet Me at Lennon’s by Melanie Myers (UQP) The Breeding Season by Amanda Niehaus (Allen & Unwin) Stone Sky Gold Mountain by Mirandi Riwoe (UQP) Hearing Maud by Jessica White (UWA Publishing)
Voting is open to everybody, anywhere in Australia – the author of the book with the most votes will win $10,000, courtesy to The Courier-Mail. You can cast your vote here.
Takeway Creatives GrantI was delighted to be awarded a Takeaway Creatives Grant by the Australian Society of Authors. The grant, to assist online presentations by authors, will allow me to continue convening Thursday Book Club, which has made me very happy. My thanks to the Australian Society of Authors and the Australia Council for their support.
Would you like me to drop in to your book club?Last week, I was a guest of the Northern Beaches Booklovers’ Club who have selected The Deceptions as their recent book club read. We had a great time on Zoom. If your book club has chosen to read The Deceptions or The Teacher’s Secret, I’d be delighted to attend your meeting by Zoom (whether your group is meeting online or gathering together in person) to answer any of your questions. To schedule a date, please email me here.
Take care,
PS. If you have finished reading (or listening to) The Deceptions and had a moment to post a review on Goodreads or Amazon or Booktopia or Audible, I’d so appreciate it.Questions? Email me Click here for my Zoom Virtual Conference You can buy The Deceptions and The Teacher’s Secret directly from my publisher here.The Deceptions PaperbackAmazon Paperback Kindle
Audible Audible Audiobook Suzanne Leal | www.suzanneleal.com | suzanne@suzanneleal.com || Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2020 Suzanne Leal
Suzanne Leal
Prince Edward StreetMalabar, Nsw 2036
Australia
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July 11, 2020
Next Thursday Book Club is on 23 July 2020
I’ll be speaking online to Donna Ward about her memoir, She I Dare Not Name: A spinster’s meditation on life. It’s a fascinating examination of a life lived primarily in solitude within a society built around couples and families. Donna Ward is a clever, insightful writer and I’m very much looking forward to our conversation. You can find the full festival program here.
Our next Thursday Book Club is on 23 July
School holidays are here and we’ll be taking a break from Thursday Book Club for the next two weeks. Please join us when we return on 23 July.
In the meantime, there’s a lot happening within the Australian literary community. Here are a few of the highlights:
2020 National Biography AwardThe shortlist for the 2020 National Biography Award will be announced online at 7pm on Thursday 9 July and will include a Q & A with special guest authors Robert Tickner and Caroline Baum. You can register for this free eventhere.
Miles Franklin Literary AwardThe winner of the Miles Franklin Literary Award will be announced live on YouTube at 4pm on Thursday 16 July. To view the announcement, please follow this link: https://www.perpetual.com.au/milesfranklin
Richard Ford in conversation with Caro LlewellynThis online conversation will take place at 11am on Sunday, 19 July. You can buy your ticket here.
Would you like me to drop in to your book club?I’ve been a guest at a number of book clubs over the past few weeks and have really enjoyed it. If your book club has chosen to read The Deceptions or The Teacher’s Secret, I’d be delighted to attend your meeting by Zoom (whether your group is meeting online or gathering together in person) to answer any of your questions. To schedule a date, please email me here.
Take care,
My recommendationsThe Godmother by Hannelore Cayre (translated by Stephanie Smee) Your recommendationsJo T – The Mirror And The Light by Hilary MantelRavi S – American Dirt by Jeanine CumminsLove in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia MarquezNo Friend But the Mountains by Behrouz BoochaniStephen – The Deceptions by Suzanne LealThe Ones You Trust by Caroline OveringtonBarbie R - Daddy Cool by Darleen Bungey Margaret S - Lampedusa by Stephen Price Zebra by Debra AdelaideLast week’s book giveaway winner was Betty O’Neill.
(It was a good week for Betty O’Neill who also took delivery of the advanced copies of her memoir, The Other Side of Absence, which will be released in August.)
Enjoy the school holidays and I’ll look forward to seeing you at Thursday Book Club on 23 July.Questions? Email me Click here for my Zoom Virtual Conference You can buy The Deceptions and The Teacher’s Secret directly from my publisher here.
The Deceptions PaperbackAmazon Paperback Kindle
Audible Audible Audiobook Suzanne Leal | www.suzanneleal.com | suzanne@suzanneleal.com || Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2020 Suzanne Leal
Suzanne LealPrince Edward StreetMalabar, Nsw 2036Australia
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