I’m wondering if The Conversion by Amanda Lohrey or Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood might make an appearance on the longlist? Christos Tsiolkas had a book out in 2023 too, I believe, though I was quite put off by his last book where he kept banging on about enjoying sniffing his own underarms, so I’m hoping it doesn’t make it because I’d rather avoid it if I can!
Scott, if you were asked by an overseas viewer which Australian books you would recommend for a UK or US reader which would you choose? My thoughts were anything Richard Flanagan, Edenglassie by Melissa Lucashenko, Echolalia by Briohny Doyle, The Anniversary by Stephanie Bishop and possibly Charlotte Wood. But there are lots of others...
This is a really difficult question and I guess it depends on what books that reader likes. Flanagan and Doyle are amazing, I love Jennifer Down's novel and Hannah Bent, even Diana Ried to the right reader.
Great Picks Scott! Praiseworthy by Alexis Wright pretty much has to win the MF this year. It's exceptional. I loved Question 7 but I think it's too much on the side on NF. I don't think I've ever seen translated fiction on the MF (another reason why The Stella is so important). So many great books! I haven't read it but maybe Chris Tsiolkas The In-betweens might get a look-in? Where Light Meets Water by Melbourne based kiwi author, Susan Paterson, may be literary enough for the list? It's another I haven't read.... I can't wait to find out what might be on it! Have they announced who the judges are? Happy Reading 🙂
Why have I never heard of half of these and I'm Australian? I'd love to see Edenglassie on there and The Hummingbird Effect. I also enjoyed The Anniversary by Stephanie Bishop. If Richard Flanagan can convince the judges his books is fiction, then yes. Otherwise, I haven't read Tony Birch. But the others...I need to go browse an actual bookshop. I also don't know why Aussie books aren't more widely available. Like, if you are an Aussie writer is there even any point trying to publish locally?
Hi Scott thanks for this. Just downloaded Songs for the Dead and the Living on Kindle. Sometimes it is hard to get Aussie fiction in the UK. Is there an indie bookshop you would recommend? I fancy The Humming Bird Effect but doesn’t seem to be available in the UK on Kindle.
I think a lot of our books are very local, Aussie references like suburb names are not explained. I always wonder if that means publishers find them less desirable.
@@GunpowderFictionPlot all books are like that to some extent. I can see it in Bodies of Light, and it doesn’t bother me at all. I actually like the Aussie place names. They sound characterful to my American ears.
OMG this is the question I ask repeatedly. The best Aussie lit just doesn't seem to go anywhere outside Australia. I really enjoyed the books I read from the Stella longlist, for example, but I don't think they are available anywhere else. Publishers...please take note.
Wonderful. As an American, how do the book industries compare in size? How big is the pool of literature that judges pick from? And what about the Kiwis? Don’t they get any literary love down that way?
Australia's population is about 10% of the US, I think our book industry is proportionally sized. There will be some books I've never heard of on the longlist, but there's probably a good chance I'll get a few of these just because it's a smaller industry. NZ books do come over here, obviously much fewer than NZ, but I imagine much more than the USA. as Sandra said the Ockham is their big prize,it's certainly worth following.
Kiwis have their own Literary prizes. The Ockham is their Miles Franklin equivalent apparently. What about Canadians, Mexicans and South Americans? Don't they get any love up your way?
@@GunpowderFictionPlot excellent, thanks, just what I was looking for. 10% of big is still pretty big. I wonder how small a country needs to be before it becomes easier to predict the award winners and nominees? I lived in Singapore for a year and become good friends with an Aussie and a Kiwi (this sounds like the start of a joke, doesn’t it?). They had a good natured rivalry of course, but were great friends. Reminded me of the American/Canadian relationship. When I retired from the Navy, both wanted to recruit me to move to their country… I went to Wisconsin instead.
