When done is better than good
My next guest on on Thursday Book Club is.... Frank Chalmers
Scriptwriter & Novelist
Join me at 8pm on 29 June when I interview Frank about his crime novel Conviction.
To join us, simply click on the link to my Zoom conference room:
JOIN BOOK CLUB ON ZOOM
Dear Friends
One of the perks of being a writer is the company you get to keep. Earlier this week, I spent the day talking to 400 Year 7 and Year 8 students about my time travel adventure book Running with Ivan. When a couple of the students asked for writing tips, I was reminded of a conversation I recently had with Pip Williams, author of the internationally bestselling novels, The Dictionary of Lost Words, and The Bookbinders of Jericho. Pip surprised me with the revelation that she is dyslexic and is grateful to have been encouraged her not to see this as a barrier to her creativity. In light of her own experience, Pip encourages school teachers to allow their students to write creatively without drawing their attention to spelling and grammar mistakes. Spelling and grammar should certainly be learnt, developed and corrected but not, Pip believes, in the context of creative writing where the goal is to give the students confidence in exploring their creativity.
It occurred to me that this is not dissimilar to the freedom I give myself when embarking on the first draft of a new novel Generating new work is difficult and the only way I can cajole myself into getting started is to reassure myself that, at this stage of the manuscript, quality is less important that simply generating material.
Congratulations are in order for Thursday Book Club member, Barbie Robinson, whose new children's book,Charles the Gallery Dog (with illustrations by Ian Robertson) has been shortlisted for the ACT Notable Book Awards. The winners will be announced on 29 June 2023. In the meantime, you can find the full list of shortlisted works here.
This week, the world has lost one of its literary giants, Cormac McCarthy. He holds a special place in my heart, partly becauseThe Road was the first gift from my husband, David, when we'd only just started seeing each other. Let me know which of Cormac McCarthy's works is your favourite and I'll pop the list in next week's newsletter.
In the meantime, I'm looking forward to your company at Thursday Book Club tomorrow night. See you at 8pm online!
NEW RELEASE RECOMMENDATION
HUMANLY POSSIBLE Sarah Bakewell BUY FROM ABBEY'S BOOK SHOP
ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- What an enormous task Bakewell has taken on here, begininng with what is Humanism? When one takes into account that there are so many different interpretations attached to this school of thought, the question is where to start. Maybe with Democritus who planted the seed and from that grew a tree with many different branches: people such as Petrarch, Boccaccio, Russell, Sartre and many many more all bearing fruit. Bakewell litters her narrative with touches of humour and irony. It's her ability to bring all these diverse characters alive all with their own personality quirks that makes this a book that is bursting with ideas. Greg
Enter the code THURSDAYBOOKCLUB at the checkout for a 15% discount on Abbey's new release and children's recommendations. This code will also get you a 15% discount on the books by my guests on Thursday Book Club and my novels, The Teacher's Secret, The Deceptions, Running With Ivan and The Watchful Wife. YOUNGER READER RECOMMENDATION
TWENTY QUESTIONS Mac Barnett, Christian RobinsonBUY FROM ABBEY'S BOOK SHOP
ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK --- Another wonderful primer from the prolific Philip Bunting! This time he explains people power to primary-age readers, starting from the definition of democracy, its origins in Ancient Greece, a potted history and modern forms. Then he explains the levels of government, how elections work, and how to use your voice and participate in the process. With his typical simple graphics that brilliantly (and wittily) enhance the accessible text, this is another excellent introduction to a complex matter that doesn't condescend but also entertains as it enlightens. Lindy
Enter the code THURSDAYBOOKCLUB at the checkout for a 15% discount on Abbey's new release and children's recommendations. This code will also get you a 15% discount on the books by my guests on Thursday Book Club and my novels, The Teacher's Secret, The Deceptions, Running With Ivan and The Watchful Wife. RESCUE READS
I’m Katrina Davis and I’m a newish but firmly stuck-on member of Thursday Book Club. All my life I have loved reading. After spending the best part of a year helping out in the not insubstantial book section of a local op-shop, I have developed a passion for bolstering my to-be-read pile with second-hand literary gems. Every week I'll review one of these not-so-newly released treasures. You'll also find me on @RescueReads and @rescuereadsau.
The Animals in That Country by Laura Jean McKay I spend an unjustifiable amount of my domestic life anthropomorphising my dog. Sometimes I’m merely imagining what my pooch might reply when I comment on the weather or note that the neighbour’s cat is out. Often though, I just go ahead and give him voice. He sounds like my boyfriend’s old therapist and betwixt mundane requests for food, naps and cuddles will propose challenges to my emotional insight – “I put it to you that it’s not you picking up the poo but the poo that is picking up you.” McKay has put her time to better use, completing a PhD focussing on literary animal studies and penning this award winning novel. It centres on Jean, a guide in an Australian wildlife park, and one of life’s survivors. All her grit is required when a new flu sweeps the country causing people to be able to understand what animals are communicating. The book becomes an apocalyptic road-trip story when Jean is forced to hit the highway with dingo Sue on a rescue mission to find her grand-daughter Kimberley. McKay has all the skills required for this combination of philosophy and thrill. NEWS
First Friday in July
Friday 7 July, 12.30pm, online
Writing NSW's monthly conversation with an industry professional
Courtesy of Writing NSW, come online to hear writer and literary agent, Benjamin Stevenson, talk about his experiences as a literary agent working across a broad range of genres and mediums. Find out about the books he wished he’d worked on, as well as his upcoming novel releasing in October.
Saturday 24 June 2023
Writing NSW, Callan Park, Lilyfield
From 10am to 5pm, attendees can listen to writers from the genre discuss how horror can be hopeful, hear all about hybrid authorship in the age of publishing scarcity, and sign up on the day for a ‘Kaffeeklatsch’: an intimate chat with our knowledgeable speakers. You can book your festival pass here.
A Crack In The Wall:
Bassam Aramin and Rami Elhanan
Following a sold-out event at the Wheeler Centre’s World of Words last week, you can enjoy a digital recording of Bassam Aramin and Rami Elhanan sharing their powerful story of loss, personal empathy and peace in conversation with Sally Warhaft.
Historical Novel Society Australasia 2023 Winter Online Program Saturday 1 July 2023 and Sunday 2 July 2023
Writing Competitions
28 June: ASSF Short Story Prize
The winner of this prize will receive a ticket plus accommodation and economy airfares to and from the Australian Short Story Festival 2023, as well as fully subsidised conference fees to attend the annual conference of the Australasian Association of Writing Programs (AAWP) to read from their work, which will be considered for publication by the editors at Meniscus.
30 June 2023: The Next Chapter Writing Program
Four writers will receive a stipend of $15000, a mentorship and a residency at Varuna as part of this ongoing initiative by The Wheeler Centre.
30 June 2023: Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize
The 2023 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize supports writers who have not yet published a book-length work, with no limits on age, gender, nationality, or background. The winners of each category will receive a £1,000 cash prize and publication, and will be published in Wasafiri’s print magazine.
30 June: Westerly Magazine Life Writing Prize
The Prize invites submissions of autobiography, biography, memoir, and essays of up to 3500 words. The winner will receive a $500 cash prize, a one-year subscription to Westerly, and conference fees to attend the annual conference of the AAWP to read from their work.
30 June: Express Media Sudden Writing Prize
The Prize invites creative work—short-short fiction, “sudden” fiction, “sketchy” stories, creative nonfiction, poetry, as well as hybrid forms. The winner receives $500, their work published on the Express Media website and a Voiceworks subscription, and a one-year membership to the AAWP.
30 June: UWRF Translators' Prize
This prize is offered in partnership with the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, and includes a ticket and accommodation to the UWRF, one year’s membership to the AAWP, subsidised fees for the AAWP’s annual conference, and will be considered for publication by the editors of Meniscus.
30 June: RD Walshe Memorial Writing for the Environment Prize
Through the RD Walshe Memorial Writing for the Environment Prize, Sutherland Shire Environment Centre values the role and place of the art of writing in bringing about change. The Prize asks you to consider the future and write a piece of fiction that puts yourself in it, under the theme 'Future, what future?'
30 June: Society of Women Writers NSW National Writing Competition
The competition is open to women writers who are residents of Australia, aged 18 years or over, members and non-members. Prizes up to $500 will be awarded in categories for poetry and short story (fiction and non-fiction).
30 June: Mark & Evette Moran Nib Literary Award
Australian authors and their publishers are invited to nominate recently published literary works of any subject matter and genre for this year’s Mark & Evette Moran Nib Literary Award which now has a major prize of $40,000.
30 June: ANZSI Indexing Award and John Simkin Medal
The Australian and New Zealand Society of Indexers (ANZSI) invites nominations for the ANZSI Indexing Awards. The John Simkin Medal recognises an outstanding book or periodical index compiled in Australia or New Zealand.
30 June: Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize
The 2023 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize supports writers who have not yet published a book-length work, with no limits on age, gender, nationality, or background. The winners of each category will receive a £1,000 cash prize and publication, and will be published in Wasafiri’s print magazine.
30 June 2023: The Poetry Project Kids Writing Competition.
All poems entered with be published in the Better Read Kids Writing Anthology, with prizes for the winner and runner-up.
3 July: ACU Prize for Poetry
The Australian Catholic University (ACU) Prize for Poetry is open for new poetry on the theme of Love, as inspired by Martin Luther King Jr: 'I have decided to stick to love...Hate is too great a burden to bear.' There is a first prize of $10,000.
7 July: Richell Prize for Emerging Writers
Entries are open to unpublished writers of adult fiction and adult narrative non-fiction. Writers do not need to have a full manuscript at the time of submission, though they must intend to complete one. The Prize will be judged on the first three chapters, along with a synopsis outlining the direction and detail about how the author’s writing career would benefit
23 July: Kill Your Darlings Creative Non-Fiction Essay Prize
The prize is seeking creative non-fiction essays between 2500 and 3500 words, on any subject and in any style (such as memoir, commentary, cultural criticism, reportage etc). First prize is $3000, with two runner-up prizes of $1000 each.
1 August 2023: Walker Books Manuscript Prize
This is a new biennial prize to be awarded to an unpublished manuscript, from 5000 to 70000 words for a readership of children over 8 years. The winner will be offered a publishing contract with an advance against royalties.
31 August 2023: Marjorie Barnard Short Story Award 2023
Australian writers are invited to submit short stories to a maximum of 3000 words.
What is Thursday Book Club?
Thursday Book Club is a relaxed, friendly book club connecting readers online. We meet on Zoom from 8 - 8.30pm. There are no scheduled books to read: we simply chat about books we like & books we’re reading. Once a month, I interview a guest writer.
On 29 June, I'll be interviewing Frank Chalmers, author of the crime novel, Conviction.
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 (between 10am and 10.30am if you're in central Europe) 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 886 196
Thursday Book Club Recommendations
My Recommendation
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Your Recommendations
Barbie R
Black Lies by Mercedes Mercier
Resistance and Revenge by Catherine McCullagh
The Magpie's Sister by Kerri Turner
Katrina D
The Animals in That Country by Jean Mackay
Fabian J
Dark Spectrum (Vivid 2023)
Cristina H
The Story of Art by E.H. Gombrich
A Little History of the World by E.H. Gombrich
Ravi S
Things She Would Have Said Herself by Catherine Therese
Hazel H
Cast Iron by Peter May
Dina D
Why Be Happy When You Can Be Normal? by Jeanette WInterson
Providence by Anita Brookner
Take care,
PS. Would you like me to drop in to your book club?
If your book club has chosen to read The Deceptions, The Teacher’s Secret or Running With Ivan, 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. My new novel The Watchful Wife will be out in July 2023 and I'd love discuss it with your book club. To schedule a date, please email me here.
JOIN BOOK CLUB ON ZOOM
My new novel, The Watchful Wife, is out on 4 July 2023. You can pre-order it from Allen & Unwin here or at your favourite bookshop. 
You can buy Running with Ivan here
You can buy The Deceptions and The Teacher’s Secret
directly from my publisher here:
Kindle version
Paperback
*****Enter the code THURSDAYBOOKCLUB at the checkout at Abbey's for a 15% discount on my novels, The Teacher's Secret, The Deceptions and Running With Ivan.
The Deceptions Paperback
Audible QUESTIONS? EMAIL ME You can buy
The Deceptions,
The Teacher’s Secret
and
Running With Ivan
online and from your favourite bookshops, including https://www.abbeys.com.au/book/the-deceptions-suzanne-leal-9781760875275.do
https://www.gleebooks.com.au/product/deceptions-the/
https://www.gertrudeandalice.com.au/product/the-deceptions/
Booktopia
Suzanne Leal | suzanne@suzanneleal.com |
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