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Reading the Landscape: A Celebration of Australian Writing
Featuring 25 of the greatest Australian writing names from UQP’s past and present, this unique publishing project will showcase specially commissioned fiction, non-fiction and poetry by Australia’s finest writers on themes such as legacy, country, vision and hope. The introduction has been written by literary critic, academic and author, Bernadette Brennan.
Participating authors include:
Ali Alizadeh, Venero Armanno, Larissa Behrendt, Lily Brett, Gabrielle Carey, Peter Carey, Matthew Condon, David Brooks, Karen Foxlee, Kári Gíslason, Rodney Hall, Steven Herrick, Sarah Holland-Batt, Nicholas Jose, Mireille Juchau, Julie Koh, Melissa Lucashenko, Patti Miller, David Malouf, James Moloney, Jaya Savige, Josephine Rowe, Peter Skrzynecki, Samuel Wagan Watson, Ellen van Neerven.
Participating authors include:
Ali Alizadeh, Venero Armanno, Larissa Behrendt, Lily Brett, Gabrielle Carey, Peter Carey, Matthew Condon, David Brooks, Karen Foxlee, Kári Gíslason, Rodney Hall, Steven Herrick, Sarah Holland-Batt, Nicholas Jose, Mireille Juchau, Julie Koh, Melissa Lucashenko, Patti Miller, David Malouf, James Moloney, Jaya Savige, Josephine Rowe, Peter Skrzynecki, Samuel Wagan Watson, Ellen van Neerven.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 5, 2018
This year marks the 70th anniversary of University of Queensland Press, and to celebrate, the publishing house recently launched an anthology of newly commissioned pieces of writing by 25 authors who are currently – or have been in the past – UQP authors. The result is Reading the Landscape: A Celebration of Australian Writing (UQP 2018), a collection of poetry and prose, fiction and memoir that showcases some of the best Australian writers, many of whom began their writing careers with UQP. With detailed biographies and the writing history of the authors alongside their fresh and vibrant writing, the book is a timeless celebration of those authors that have found their voices through UQP and the award-winning books that have followed, with an eye to the future and those authors to watch. An introduction by academic Bernadette Brennan discusses the depth and breadth of writing showcased in the anthology and provides some insight and background into the stories presented.
In no particular order, here are some of the phrases that sang off the page for me:
‘And I don’t believe in/the magic of family/these days, because in our situation/as you know, home/is often the battlefield/of beloveds, bruised/by life in a loveless world.’ - poetry by Ali Alizadeh.
‘Indifference is a perfect breeding ground for hatred. Indifference allows politics of hate to flourish…Too many of us appear to have a diminished conscience. Please polish your conscience. The world needs it.’ - memoir by Lily Brett.
‘He loves her with an agonising love so far beyond expression it comes out all too often as resentment.’ - fiction by Rodney Hall.
‘It’s the women who earned the money that kept the corrupt system going, and it’s the women who brought the whole thing down. They’re all down there, in the dark, nourishing the roots of the lotus plants. Come. Let me show you. It’s time you learnt the truth.’ - Matthew Condon’s reflections of his investigative writing about Queensland politics.
A poignant essay by Larissa Behrendt explores racial issues: ‘…it seems like an extreme form of arrogance to assume that a civilisation that could sustain itself over millennia would have nothing to teach others. It would be inevitable that such a society would have a deep knowledge of the landscape and the natural world…history, however, is not one romanticised story – it is a series of competing narratives, brought to life by different groups whose experiences are diverse and often challenge the dominant story that a country seeks to tell itself about its history…There are no absolute truths when it comes to history. It is a process, a conversation, a constantly altering story…Honouring of one story does not preclude the honouring of another…And within this inclusive nationalism we can acknowledge that there is not just one dominant national narrative but a range of concurrent, competing and conflicting stories that reflect the diversity of backgrounds and perspectives within Australian society.’
‘We touched the river that way each time, a kind of greeting. When you are young you can speak the language of such things.’ – fiction by Karen Foxlee.
‘And then I thought, Barney will never fly again – the boy who flew every night in his dreams. In those first moments, it seemed worse than the fact that he wouldn’t walk again. And, of course, I thought about Icarus; the non-existent gods would always have their way.’ – non-fiction by Patti Miller.
‘Sheep are stupid. It’s the first thing I learnt on the farm. Sheep are stupid. Cows are slow. Pigs are smart. And don’t turn your back on a goat.’ - fiction by Steven Herrick.
‘His sudden, unthinkable absence filled everything.’ – fiction by Nicholas Jose.’
‘I’ve grown up to a world that was uglier than the one I was promised…that script they try and write us in will no longer contain us. bring me a new coat of oppression. this one’s wearing thin.’ - poetry by Ellen Van Neerven.
‘…whenever possible, it pays to read the landscape as a story, and the story as a landscape.’ - memoir by Kari Gislason.
There are stories by Mireille Juchau, Gabrielle Carey, Josephine Rowe, Julie Koh, Peter Carey, James Moloney, David Brooks and a tension-filled story by Venero Armanno. The book includes moving poetry by David Malouf, Sarah Holland-Batt, Peter Skrzynecki, Jaya Savige and Indigenous authors Melissa Lucashenko and Samuel Wagan Watson.
Since 1948, UQP has brought us stories and poetry that read the landscape of the time and reflect it back to us as readers. With a reputation for championing diverse voices, UQP continues to tell Australian stories to the world, and to use words and literature to explore history, to unite us in the present, and to provide opportunities for optimism in the future. This anthology includes fine examples of brilliant writing that hold bright promise.
In no particular order, here are some of the phrases that sang off the page for me:
‘And I don’t believe in/the magic of family/these days, because in our situation/as you know, home/is often the battlefield/of beloveds, bruised/by life in a loveless world.’ - poetry by Ali Alizadeh.
‘Indifference is a perfect breeding ground for hatred. Indifference allows politics of hate to flourish…Too many of us appear to have a diminished conscience. Please polish your conscience. The world needs it.’ - memoir by Lily Brett.
‘He loves her with an agonising love so far beyond expression it comes out all too often as resentment.’ - fiction by Rodney Hall.
‘It’s the women who earned the money that kept the corrupt system going, and it’s the women who brought the whole thing down. They’re all down there, in the dark, nourishing the roots of the lotus plants. Come. Let me show you. It’s time you learnt the truth.’ - Matthew Condon’s reflections of his investigative writing about Queensland politics.
A poignant essay by Larissa Behrendt explores racial issues: ‘…it seems like an extreme form of arrogance to assume that a civilisation that could sustain itself over millennia would have nothing to teach others. It would be inevitable that such a society would have a deep knowledge of the landscape and the natural world…history, however, is not one romanticised story – it is a series of competing narratives, brought to life by different groups whose experiences are diverse and often challenge the dominant story that a country seeks to tell itself about its history…There are no absolute truths when it comes to history. It is a process, a conversation, a constantly altering story…Honouring of one story does not preclude the honouring of another…And within this inclusive nationalism we can acknowledge that there is not just one dominant national narrative but a range of concurrent, competing and conflicting stories that reflect the diversity of backgrounds and perspectives within Australian society.’
‘We touched the river that way each time, a kind of greeting. When you are young you can speak the language of such things.’ – fiction by Karen Foxlee.
‘And then I thought, Barney will never fly again – the boy who flew every night in his dreams. In those first moments, it seemed worse than the fact that he wouldn’t walk again. And, of course, I thought about Icarus; the non-existent gods would always have their way.’ – non-fiction by Patti Miller.
‘Sheep are stupid. It’s the first thing I learnt on the farm. Sheep are stupid. Cows are slow. Pigs are smart. And don’t turn your back on a goat.’ - fiction by Steven Herrick.
‘His sudden, unthinkable absence filled everything.’ – fiction by Nicholas Jose.’
‘I’ve grown up to a world that was uglier than the one I was promised…that script they try and write us in will no longer contain us. bring me a new coat of oppression. this one’s wearing thin.’ - poetry by Ellen Van Neerven.
‘…whenever possible, it pays to read the landscape as a story, and the story as a landscape.’ - memoir by Kari Gislason.
There are stories by Mireille Juchau, Gabrielle Carey, Josephine Rowe, Julie Koh, Peter Carey, James Moloney, David Brooks and a tension-filled story by Venero Armanno. The book includes moving poetry by David Malouf, Sarah Holland-Batt, Peter Skrzynecki, Jaya Savige and Indigenous authors Melissa Lucashenko and Samuel Wagan Watson.
Since 1948, UQP has brought us stories and poetry that read the landscape of the time and reflect it back to us as readers. With a reputation for championing diverse voices, UQP continues to tell Australian stories to the world, and to use words and literature to explore history, to unite us in the present, and to provide opportunities for optimism in the future. This anthology includes fine examples of brilliant writing that hold bright promise.
March 24, 2021
A great mix of contemporary essays, short stories, poetry, and memoirs, all of which pay homage to Australia's literary landscape. I really, really loved the essay 'The Smoke of Several Fires', which addresses the issues of racial inequality and hardship - an incredibly meaningful piece.
September 9, 2018
So i'll get on to talking about the contents of this book in a second but can we first stop to admire this pretty cover and give UQP snaps for producing a book that is the trifecta - great literature on the inside, beautiful cover on the outside, and so damn satiny in my rough little winter hands. The cover feel so nice! ☺️
This is an anthology of 25 great Australian writers who have published with the University of Queensland Press (UQP) and have written specially commissioned pieces of poetry, fiction and non-fiction on themes such as legacy, country, vision and hope. The scope of this project is amazing and, as always, UQP have put together an inclusive mix of authors that represent the vast cultural melting pot that is Australia, as well as representing past and present literary ideals. This is not a dead-white-males project with the likes of Ellen van Neerven, Melissa Lucashenko and Samuel Wagan Watson appearing alongside stalwarts Peter Carey and David Malouf. Other names you might recognise are Steven Herrick and Julie Koh whose short stories explore weird and wonderful alternate worlds and counterpoint some of the more realist fiction. It's definitely one that you can dip in and out of rather than read chronologically. Reading the book is like sitting down for dinner and catching up with old friends
This is an anthology of 25 great Australian writers who have published with the University of Queensland Press (UQP) and have written specially commissioned pieces of poetry, fiction and non-fiction on themes such as legacy, country, vision and hope. The scope of this project is amazing and, as always, UQP have put together an inclusive mix of authors that represent the vast cultural melting pot that is Australia, as well as representing past and present literary ideals. This is not a dead-white-males project with the likes of Ellen van Neerven, Melissa Lucashenko and Samuel Wagan Watson appearing alongside stalwarts Peter Carey and David Malouf. Other names you might recognise are Steven Herrick and Julie Koh whose short stories explore weird and wonderful alternate worlds and counterpoint some of the more realist fiction. It's definitely one that you can dip in and out of rather than read chronologically. Reading the book is like sitting down for dinner and catching up with old friends
March 23, 2019
This 70th Anniversary anthology from University of Queensland Press is an eclectic mix of fiction, non-fiction and poetry from some of Australia's greatest writers. It is a beautiful production and a fitting tribute and celebration of a publisher that has made an enormous contribution to Australia's literary landscape over many years.
July 11, 2018
A great collection. Absolute standout is Larissa Behrendt’s essay - super insightful. Also really enjoyed short stories by Steven Herrick and Veneto Armanno.
October 9, 2018
A great collection of some of the best Australian writers set free by University of Queensland Press.
February 23, 2019
Some short stories I really enjoyed and others were hard to concentrate on due to boredom.
July 22, 2019
Still only half way through & I've borrowed it from the library twice. It's not what I was expecting.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews