Women's Prize Longlist 2023

On 7 March 2023, the 2023 Women's Prize longlist was revealed! The annual literary award celebrating women writers has previously recognised the talents of so many gifted writers, including these past winners:

Ruth Ozeki - The Book of Form and Emptiness (2022)

Susanna Clarke - Piranesi (2021)

Maggie O'Farrell - Hamnet (2020)

Tayari Jones - An American Marriage (2019)

Lionel Shriver - We Need to Talk About Kevin (2005)

Andrea Levy - Small Island (2004)

 

The 2023 longlist is as follows:

NoViolet Bulawayo - Glory

Glory is a postcolonial fable, set in a fictional African country Jidada where an elderly tyrannical horse is disposed. A chorus of animals narrate this tale as Bulawayo tells the story of the military overthrow of Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe's President (1987-2017). The judges called this novel: 'An ingenious and brilliant political fable that bears witness to the surreal turns of history'. Bulawayo was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2022 for Glory. 

Jennifer Croft - Homesick

In Oklahoma, Sisters Zoe and Amy are homeschooled. Amy is sharp, excelling at languages. Zoe suffers from illness and so Amy cares for her sibling.  This coming of age story is described as an illustrated memoir. American author Croft won the 2020 William Saroyan International Prize for Writing for this book, and the 2018 Man Booker International Prize for her translation of Olga Tokarczuk's Flights.

Jacqueline Crooks - Fire Rush

Bernardine Evaristo said she 'felt charged and changed' by Crooks' debut novel. Born and raised in London, Yamaye loves clubbing at the weekend, dancing to dub reggae at The Crypt. She meets Moose, a carpenter who likewise has Jamaican heritage. Fleeing violence, Yamaye travels to Jamaica to learn more of her past. Crooks is a Jamaican-born British writer, best known for her short stories. This is her debut novel.

Camilla Grudova - Children of Paradise

Holly starts work at the dilapidated Paradise cinema where she cleans toilets and sweeps up popcorn. She is pretty lonely, ignored by her colleagues, but over time she is accepted by the group and becomes an insider. With the ushers she learns the history of the Paradise. When the owner dies and the Paradise is taken over by a cinema chain, this history may be lost. Grudova is a Canadian author, best known for her previous work The Doll's Alphabet.

Natalie Haynes - Stone Blind

Haynes is known for her retelling of classics, such as The Children of Jocasta and A Thousand Ships. Her latest, Stone Blind, brings new life to the myth of Medusa. The only mortal in a family of gods, Medusa experiences aging and weakness not understood by her family. Assaulted by Poseidon and then punished for his transgressions, she is transformed into a monster that will turn living beings to stone. I picked up this book a few months ago and I am really looking forward it.

Louise Kennedy - Trespasses

Set in Northern Island during the Troubles, this novel is about a young woman living in Belfast. Cushla teaches at a parochial school and at night works in her family's pub. She meets Michael, a barrister who defends IRA members. Despite him being Protestant, older and married, Cushla commences an affair with him. As the Troubles escalate, she finds herself conflicted and her choices impact her family and community. Trespasses is Kennedy's debut novel. 

Barbara Kingsolver - Demon Copperhead

Arguably the most commercial book on the longlist, Kingsolver's novel is a retelling of David Copperfield set in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia. A boy born to a teenage single mother grows up in poverty, surviving foster care, poor schools, addiction, and worse. Kingsolver is best known for her novel The Poisonwood Bible and won the Women's Prize in 2010 for The Lacuna. I have this novel and reckon it has a good chance of advancing and possibly even winning. Better get reading! (Update: Read my review of Demon Copperhead)

Sophie Mackintosh - Cursed Bread

Mackintosh is best known for her novel The Water Cure, longlisted for the 2018 Booker Prize. In Cursed Bread, Mackintosh bases her tale on a real unsolved mystery of a 1951 mass poisoning in a French village.  Eloudie, the wife of a baker, becomes intrigued by a new couple that move to the small town. Meanwhile, strange things are happening in the town - horses found dead, ghosts appearing, people experiencing hallucinations. Slowly, the town becomes gripped by madness. (Update: Read my review of Cursed Bread)

Elizabeth McKenzie - The Dog of the North

Newly divorced, Penny Rush has a lot to manage. Her parents are missing in the Australian outback. Her grandfather is moving into a retirement home and her grandmother keeps experiments in her fridge. Penny needs a fresh start, so she jumps in an old van and embarks on a road trip. McKenzie is the author of The Portable Veblen.

Priscilla Morris - Black Butterflies

In Sarajevo, 1992, nationalists erect barricades to divide the city by ethnicity. Residents push the barricades inside during the day.  Teacher Zora sends her husband and elderly mother to England when violence erupts. Zora stays behind, believing the conflict will be resolved quickly. But when it escalates instead, the residents of her building come together to fins a way to cope. This is Morris' debut novel.

Maggie O'Farrell - The Marriage Portrait

This wonderful novel is a fictional imaging of the brief life of the Duchess of Ferrara.     When she was thirteen years old, Lucrezia de' Medici was married to Alfonso d'Este, the future Duke of Ferrara. Her time in Ferrara was short-lived as she died at the age of 16 from a mysterious illness, amid rumours she had been poisoned by her husband for failing to produce an heir. O'Farrell takes small threads of what is known of this woman and weaves a portrait of her life. I read this novel last year and absolutely loved it (read my review here). O'Farrell won the Women's Prize in 2020 for Hamnet. 

Sheena Patel - I'm a Fan

'I stalk a woman on the internet who is sleeping with the same man as I am.' Thus begins this first person account, told in short vignettes, of a 30-something, 'second generation immigrant' woman in South London. She shares her experience of an unequal, unfaithful relationship, with a unique character voice. This is Patel's debut novel. I have read a few sample chapters online and I am definitely intrigued. Will need to track down a copy.

Cecile Pin - Wandering Souls

Another debut novel, this book is about three Vietnamese siblings who flee war by boat to Hong Kong. Their parents and other family members are lost on the journey. The siblings eventually seek refuge in the UK and try to establish a life for themselves despite the sense that they are not welcome in Thatcher's Britain.

Laline Paull - Pod

Ea is a dolphin. Unlike the other members of the pod, Ea is deaf and cannot perform the spins required to fit in. Ea leaves the pod and ventures off into the ocean, finding predators at every turn. Paull was shortlisted for the Women's Prize in 2015 for her novel The Bees. This novel does not excite me at all. While I enjoy experimental fiction, I read a brief sample and was not engaged and found it hard to get in to.

Parini Shroff - The Bandit Queens

Geeta is enjoying her life as a widow. While she didn't kill her husband, everyone thinks she did. Consequently, she develops a bit of a reputation, and other women in the village seek her advice on how to get rid of their husbands. This is American author Parini Shroff's debut novel. I quite like the sound of this novel, and think it will be a hoot. Sounds a bit reminiscent of Oyinkan Braithwaite's My Sister, The Serial Killer. Will have to track it down.

Tara M Stringfellow - Memphis

Miriam flees her husband, and returns to her childhood home in Memphis with her two children Joan and Mya. Covering 70 years and three generations of women, the story is told in differing narrative voices, in a non-linear fashion. Stringfellow is a poet and former attorney. This is her debut novel.

Last year's longlist gave me many hours of reading pleasure, so I am hopeful that this year's list will do the same. 

While I have only read one novel on this list (Maggie O'Farrell's The Marriage Portrait), I have copies of Demon Copperhead and Stone Blind so will start my exploration there. I am keen to track down the works by Bulawayo, Shroff, Kennedy, Macintosh and Patel. 

I was surprised that Kate Atkinson (Shrines of Gaiety), Kamila Shamsie (Best of Friends), and Elizabeth Strout (Lucy by the Sea) did not make the cut. But it was nice to see nine debut authors gain exposure for their work by these nominations.

If I had to pick a shortlist, I would choose on Bulawayo, Kingsolver, O'Farrell, Mackintosh and Haynes to be among those listed. 

The shortlist will be announced on 26 April 2023  and the winner will be revealed on 14 June 2023. Happy reading!

The Willows

Elizabeth Von Arnim's novel Vera (1921), allegedly based on her disastrous marriage to Frank Russell, is the story of a naive young woman and a narcissistic, demanding man. 

While on holiday in Cornwall, Lucy Entwistle's beloved father dies suddenly leaving the twenty-two year old in a state of shock and grief. Shortly after his passing, Lucy goes out for some fresh air and, while leaning on the front gate at the edge of her garden, Everard Wemyss, a 45 year old widower, is passing by. He strikes up a conversation with the sorrowful girl. Wemyss' wife Vera died a week prior and, upon discovering Lucy's heartache, he uses their shared grief as a foundation for companionship. Wemyss sweeps in, assisting with funeral arrangements and providing support to Lucy and her Aunt Dot, who is under the impression he is a friend of her late brother. 

When Lucy and Dot return to London, Wemyss wheedles himself into Lucy's life despite the concerns raised by her Aunt Dot and friends of Lucy's father. They are concerned about his attentions to a young woman half his age, and more so because Vera died in suspicious circumstances. Vera fell from an upper floor window in the Wemyss' home The Willows to the flagstones below, but rumours abound about whether she jumped, was pushed or accidentally fell. Regardless, most view it as unseemly that Wemyss should be courting a young woman without observing a respectable period of mourning. 

Lucy is smitten, and proceeds to marry Wemyss and be whisked off to his country property The Willows. Here Wemyss' true self is revealed and Lucy becomes obsessed with Vera. 

While not a phrase used at the time of writing, this is a case study of a man bent on coercive control. Wemyss is a bully, making dreadful demands of his staff who only put up with him because he pays well and is away on weekdays in London. Lucy is infantilised as Wemyss' 'baby' or 'good girl', and scolded when she asks questions or tries to do anything in her own home. As an example, the house has an extensive library and Lucy is a voracious reader. But Wemyss has the library locked tight, refusing to allow anyone to touch his books. His piano must remained covered at all times, his meals must be served at exact times and so on causing his staff and Lucy to walk on eggshells.

Von Armin's novel starts slowly but gradually gains momentum creating a thriller-like page-turner. But the story was let down terribly by the ending. While the character of Wemyss was well crafted, Lucy did not experience much growth even as the truth about her husband's true nature was revealed. Aunt Dot is my favourite character - the spinsterly aunt who genuinely wants the best for her niece and attempts to befriend Wemyss. Von Armin has a sly wit and in many respects has written a darkly comic and stinging character assassination, portraying Wemyss as sulky, demanding and brutally cruel. No wonder her husband was angered by its publication. 

Reading Vera, I could not help but think of Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca. In both novels young women are wooed by older men, intrigued by the spectre of a previous wife, and set in stately country homes. While I much preferred Rebecca, I am pleased to have read Vera and look forward to reading more by Elizabeth Von Arnim.

Mississippi Goddam

Percival Everett was shortlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize for his satirical novel, The Trees (2021). This clever, witty, dark and insightful book is a thought-provoking page-turner that had me gripped from the outset and left me enraged by the unending racism, inequality and injustice which continues to flourish.

In the small town of Money, Mississippi a brutal murder has taken place. A white homeowner is found dead with the body of an unknown young black man. Within days, this scene is recreated several times in Money, baffling local police who are more concerned about their white townsfolk than the black victims. Two special detectives from the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI) drive up from Hattiesburg to support the investigation, and they realise that the black victim is reminiscent of Emmett Till, a teenager who was lynched in Money decades earlier, and whose murder propelled the civil rights movement. 

The detectives suspect that these killings are belated retribution for the murder of Till. As similar murders start taking place across the country, they realise there are larger forces at play. Ed and Jim have such a wonderful rapport as friends and work partners. Their jokes and sly comments serve to emphasise the absurdity of the Trumpian racism and MAGA revisionist history, and provide comic relief to the dark subject matter. 

The redneck white characters in the novel are hillbilly caricatures - gun-totting, evangelistic, uneducated, KKK enthusiasts. Their casual use the N-word and overt xenophobia is jarring, but illustrates America's failure to understand and reconcile its past. Everett reminds readers of America's dark history of lynching, which continues today. There was no justice for Emmett Till, or the hundreds of others who have lost their lives (before and since) in similar ways.

The Trees is unlike any novel I have ever read and one I will be thinking about for a very long time. 

Revisiting Jane Eyre

The story of the eponymous heroine in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre (1847) is so well known, but can be summarised as follows. Orphaned as a young child, Jane lived with her maternal uncle's family at Gateshead Hall. Her aunt, Mrs Reed, treats Jane poorly, never embracing her as family. Jane is then sent to the Lowood Institution, a charity school for girls, where the children are malnourished, humiliated and harshly disciplined. Jane is a bright girl and a talented artist. She applies herself to her studies and after six years of education, she is engaged briefly as a teacher at Lowood, before going out on her own to advertise her services as a governess.

Jane accepts a position at Thornfield Hall teaching Adele Varens, a precocious French girl. She meets the master of Thornfield Hall, Edward Rochester, and over time a relationship develops between them. The couple aim to marry but this is thwarted when a secret from Rochester's past surfaces. Jane leaves Thornfield and finds a home and a position at Moor House. Jane's fortunes change, but before she can determine what path she will choose, she needs to resolve matters with Rochester.

The first time I read Jane Eyre I was 14 years old, in high school. As a teenager I was captivated by this bildungsroman and the gothic romance of a young governess falling in love with her employer. I re-read Jane Eyre again while in university and had a completely different take on Jane. With only a few years of life experience, I was less interested in the romance and more admiring Jane's quest for autonomy and her determination to make her own choices in life. I also saw Rochester differently, less of a romantic hero, and certainly questionable in his ill treatment of Bertha Mason.

Several decades have past since I last read Jane Eyre. In the intervening time I have seen many film and television adaptations that I thought there was nothing more I could learn. Jane Eyre has always been so familiar to me, that I had not considered it worth reading again until now when I decided to participate in the #BigBronteReadalong2023.

Reading the novel 30 years after my first time was a completely different experience. My appreciation for the precision of Bronte's prose has grown and I took great delight in her descriptions of the places Jane visited and the people she met. Her depiction of the gothic mansion Thornfield Hall, and the spectre of the madwoman in the attic, provides ample suspense and excitement. While I am still troubled by Rochester and question whether her relationship with him should be considered a romance, I found myself absolutely enamoured with Jane. She is a feisty heroine, resilient and self-aware, with a strong moral code. 

This time around I noticed things I hadn't before - the backstory of Rochester's affair with Celine Varens, the challenging journeys Jane took from Lowood to Thornfield and later on to Moor House, and the tediousness of St John Rivers. I was more understanding of the religious undertones, showcasing the best and worst of Christianity. I could also draw in so many parallels to other stories like Dickens' David Copperfield, Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and Wharton's The Age of Innocence. 

Revisiting familiar tales at different points in one's life brings new insights. I am so pleased that I re-read Jane Eyre, and I hope to read/re-read many more Bronte novels during the #BigBronteReadalong2023.

I Will Not

I will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man. I will not. The government will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man. Not now, not ever. 

On 9 October 2012 Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard rose from her chair in Parliament and delivered an unforgettable speech in response to an accusation of sexism from opposition leader Tony Abbott. During the next ten minutes, Gillard tore strips of Abbott, detailing his double standards and his gendered attacks. Watching the speech live, Gillard spoke to me and for me. I cheered from the sidelines and felt relief that Abbott had finally been taken to task. In the days that followed, overseas friends contacted me about the speech, sharing in the sense that something had fundamentally shifted in the discourse about gender and politics. 

Ten years later, Gillard has published a book about the misogyny speech and its aftermath. Not Now, Not Ever (2022) is a compilation of essays and reflections from a cross-section of women. The speech appears as prologue, followed by the first section discussing the speech in context. Gillard writes about the lead up to the speech and the cool anger she felt in Parliament that day, fed up with Abbott's antics and that of the conservative media. She has been called 'deliberately barren' for being child-free, shock-jocks suggested she should be 'put in a chaff bag and thrown into the sea', Abbott stood with protesters waving 'ditch the witch' signs, and she was continually subjected to sexist critiques about her personal appearance. The frustration that was simmering, reached boiling point on the day of the speech.

Journalist Katharine Murphy covered the speech at the time and writes about the press response. The media read the speech entirely differently to the electorate, having been trained to dispassionately report on politics. The speech was a turning point for many in the pressroom too, who now analyse politics and policy in consideration of its impacts on women and minorities. The speech also became a pop culture phenomenon, as Kathy Lette writes in her essay, with tiktoks, t-shirts, memes and more. (I have the speech printed on a tea towel).

The second section of the book explores misogyny, intersectionality, violence, and workplace sexism. Historian Mary Beard writes about misogyny from the ancient world to today. Jess Hill, author of See What You Made Me Do, writes about misogyny and gendered violence. Jennifer Palmieri, Director of Communications for Hillary Clinton's 2016 Presidential campaign, writes about the sexism Clinton faced. There are also compelling essays by Aleida Mendes Borges, Michelle K Ryan, Miriam K Zehnter, and Rosie Campbell.

The final section of the book is future focussed. Gillard has a conversation with three feminist activists advocating for change. She talks with Chanel Contos, Caitlin Figueiredo and Sally Scales about sexism and misogyny and about the future for women. Gillard also writes a chapter on what's next, leaving the reader hopeful and inspired. 

Interspersed throughout the book are quotes and reflections from women around the world about the speech and its impact on them. We hear from Tanya Plibersek, Quentin Bryce, Clementine Ford, Abbey Hansen, Cate Blanchett, Kate Grenville, Theresa May, Brittney Higgins, Ngoni Okonjo-Iweala, Hillary Clinton, and many more. These snippets are an excellent addition, balancing out the longer pieces.

I really enjoyed Not Now, Not Ever. It is a thoughtful reflection on a watershed moment in Australian politics, and on the unfinished business of equality. The only thing I would have liked included in the book was more information about the essay contributors. 

 

Gillard was Australia's first (and so far only) female Prime Minister. While she will be forever remembered for the misogyny speech, the legacy of Gillard's leadership is much broader having brought about significant policy reforms and instituting the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Her memoir about her time in office, My Story (2014) is also reviewed on my blog.

 

Gillard's speech is available online and well worth watching. 

Quiet Achiever

The first time I heard of John Williams' novel Stoner (1965) was in an article by Julian Barnes in The Guardian calling it the 'must-read' novel of 2013. It sounded really good, so I bought a copy, plonked it on my shelf, and there it sat for a decade! Every so often I would see it when browsing/dusting my bookshelves and think I should read it, but I always left it for another day. 

Last weekend I was going away and had four-hour train journey each way, so I grabbed Stoner off my shelf, downloaded the audiobook (read brilliantly by Alfred Molina), and enjoyed my weekend with Stoner while journeying across the Australian countryside. 

Stoner is the story of an ordinary man, living an ordinary life. The protagonist William Stoner grows up on an impoverished farm in Missouri. His parents make great sacrifices to send him off to university in the hopes he will learn new agricultural methods to improve the family farm. All students undertake a compulsory literature course, and Stoner's mind is opened by Shakespeare's sonnets. Without telling his family, he changes his major and pursues his passion. 

The novel is primarily set on the campus of the university, where Stoner attends grad school, teaches and becomes a member of the faculty. He is not ambitious for promotion, happy to teach his favourite subjects and supervise doctoral candidates, his entire career. A clash with a colleague propels much of the narrative, and brings forth a fascinating discussion on the role of the academy and the value of literature.

In many ways, Stoner remains still while the world turns around him. During his lifetime, there are two world wars, the great recession, social change, urbanisation. But Stoner remains entirely himself, experiencing the joys and disappointments of life. He is stoic, unadventurous, principled and true to himself.

Williams portrays a man who is held in 'no particular esteem' by colleagues, does not 'rise above the rank of assistant professor' and will be barely remembered by those who knew him. Stoner has dedicated his whole life to his work, often at the expense of his family, and seemingly has little to show for it. Yet there is value and meaning in Stoner's small life, he has contributed in his way. 

Having spent two decades in university completing various undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, I loved the depiction of the academy. The character of Walker, a lazy student who bluffs his way through class, reminds me so much of people I have encountered in my studies. I found myself cheering on Stoner in his campaign against this sort of student.

Written in beautiful yet plain prose, John Williams' novel is one that will stay with me for a long time - especially the final chapter as Stoner reflects on his expectations of life. It is a sad, hopeful, compelling, simple story about love and life. 

Small Town, Big Secrets

At the 2022 Sydney Writers Festival I attended a session featuring debut novelist Hayley Scrivenor talking about her newly published crime thriller Dirt Town (2022). I love Australian noir and it sounded like a book I would enjoy. My mum gave me a copy in July, but I shelved it as I had just read Garry Disher's Bitter Wash Road and Matthew Spencer's Black River, so felt I needed a gap before I read another crime novel. Each time I considered reading it there was something more pressing, like the latest Robert Galbraith and Jane Harper. But to kick off my reading this year while I was still on my summer holidays, I grabbed Scrivenor's novel and had a wonderful time engrossed in this book.

Set in Durton, a fictional town in NSW, the story revolves around a twelve year old girl, Esther Bianchi, who goes missing on the way home from school. Her best friend Ronnie wants to know what happened to Esther. Lewis may have information that can help, but can he say anything without getting into trouble? Detective Sarah Michaels, a missing persons specialist, is sent to Durton to investigate and soon finds that this small town has some big secrets.

Told from different perspectives over a period of a few days, I really enjoyed the writing style of this novel and could not believe it was a debut. There is a maturity in the writing, and the decision to include intermittent chapters headed 'We', in the style of a Greek chorus of the town's children, was particularly compelling.  Scrivenor managed to capture the distinct voices of Ronnie (and her obsession with llamas), Detective Michaels, Lewis, and Constance (Esther's mother) in these alternating narratives. 

Dirt Town, published as Dirt Creek in North America, is an intelligent, atmospheric, character-driven, page-turning, crime novel showcasing a writer to watch. I hope that Scrivenor continues to write in this genre and perhaps makes a series with Detective Michaels.

Let Her Speak

In 2021 Grace Tame was thrust into the national spotlight when she was named Australian of the Year for her advocacy for survivors of sexual assault. Before that recognition, I knew of and admired Grace Tame through journalist Nina Funnell's #LetHerSpeak campaign to abolish gag laws preventing sexual assault victims from speaking out about what happened to them.

Over the past few years, Tame has frequently told the story of her childhood trauma in interviews and other speaking engagements. When she was fifteen years old, Tame was groomed and repeatedly raped by her 58 year old math teacher. The perpetrator was found guilty and jailed (for a frustratingly short period), but the Tasmanian gag laws in place allowed him to speak about what happened but not her. I heard Tame speak directly about her experiences when she was the keynote speaker at the 2021 Early Childhood Australia conference and was moved by her resilience and unflinching survivor-centric approach. She is an articulate advocate, reframing the narrative and shining a light in dark corners.

Now, at a 28 years of age, Tame is wise beyond her years and has channelled her energy into writing a memoir of her life and the challenges she has endured. In The Ninth Life of a Diamond Miner (2022) she writes with great love for her family - particularly the matriarchy of strong women who have been role models and supporters - and her deep friendships. Tame describes her autism and about her experiences with eating disorders. She talks about mistakes she has made and the challenges she has overcome. This book is personal and political, particularly as she writes about the role the media has played covering her story. 

The Ninth Life of a Diamond Miner is an interesting, but difficult book. I expected to find some of the content confronting, but did not anticipate the humour, tenderness and lightness. She forces readers to think, and challenges them to be open-minded. She is smart, sassy and self-aware. At the same time, there were parts of this book that were a slog to read. While she speaks lovingly of friends and extended family - she seemingly mentioned every family member, share house roomie, and person she has ever met - this was way too much. Tame also has strong opinions about loads of things and would often use distracting asides to express her views or share inside jokes. The non-linear narrative felt unfinished, and would have benefited from a sharp edit. Despite this, I am glad I read this memoir and learned more about Tame as a person, in her own words. 

The conclusion of the book is hopeful. She has found personal and professional success through her engagement to her partner Max and the advocacy she continues. The work she is doing via The Grace Tame Foundation - to harmonise sexual assault laws nationwide, access superannuation in civil suits, and change legislation to remove the word 'relationship' in relation to child sexual abuse - is commendable. She will undoubtedly succeed at whatever she sets her mind to.

Planning for 2023

I end the year with a stack of books on my 'To Be Read' Pile including:

• 
  Grace Tame - The Ninth Life of a Diamond Miner
• Hayley Scrivenor - Dirt Town
• Julia Gillard - Not Now, Not Ever
• Alex Miller - A Brief Affair
• Elizabeth Von Armin - Vera
• Mark Considine - The Careless State
• Jennifer Saint - Elektra
• Leila Mottley - Nightcrawling
• Chris Hammer - The Tilt

I always promise I won't buy any more books until I have read the ones I already have... but that promise never lasts long! I am hoping to make a dent in this pile though, as I am looking forward to each one, and I want to get a start on my reading before award longlists are announced from March.

Things are getting back to normal (whatever that means!). I am finally planning to travel overseas again after far too long at home. At this stage the plan is to explore southern Italy and Greece, so I will likely look out some books that will inspire my adventures. Recommendations welcome!

I am looking forward to a number of new books due to be published in 2023, including works by: Eleanor Catton (Birnam Wood), Rebecca Makkai (I Have Some Questions For You), Margaret Atwood (Old Babes in the Woods), Curtis Sittenfeld (Romantic Comedy), Colson Whitehead (Crook Manifesto), Samantha Irby (Quietly Hostile), Emma Cline (The Guest), Brett Eason Ellis (The Shards), Emma Donoghue (Learned by Heart), Max Porter (Shy), and many more. While I won't get to all of them this year, I have preordered many from my library.

For the past few years I have consistently been able to read at least 30 books a year. While I could push myself by setting a higher goal, I like my 30 book plan. However I will continue to explore new authors, genres and subject matters. To diversify my reading and to challenge myself to read more broadly, I have updated my annual checklist to add some fun to my reading.

20th century modern classic	Debut  novel	First Nations Author/Issues	Poetry  collection	Biography or memoir
19th century classic	Retelling of  another story	Protagonist is over 50	Short story collection	Essay collection
Pre-19th  century classic	Novel in  translation	LGBTQIA+ Author/Issues	Women's prize longlister	Non-fiction bestseller
Book on the  1001 list	By a favourite author	Novella in  November	Australian  literary prize longlister	Current  affairs/politics
Published  in 2023	New to me author	Book in my To Be Read pile	Booker prize longlister	Non-fiction history

Last year I focussed mainly on fiction. This year I want to add more non-fiction to my list, but also get back to the classics and include other forms of writing - poetry, drama, essay, short stories - into the mix. I had thought about focussing on a particular author this year (who? Neville Shute? Robertson Davies? Graham Greene? Hilary Mantel?) and reading all of their works. But I don't think that will work for me as I have too many books I want to read and not enough time to read them all!

Happy reading everyone!

My Reading Year 2022

I started 2022 with optimism and hope that, after two long pandemic years, we would be 'back to normal' and the worst was behind us. How naive! In many ways this was the worst year, as Covid took hold, draining my last reserves of resilience, and finally catching up with me in August. But I managed to leave my fortress of solitude and venture out in the world, attending the Sydney Writers' Festival for the first time since 2019. In the end however, it wasn't the pandemic that disrupted my reading, but the FIFA World Cup as the late night and early morning matches gave me little time for reading.

My reading goal for 2022 was 30 books, which I achieved, reading 31 titles this year. When planning for 2022 at the start of the year, I did not really name any specific titles, which served me well as I roamed wherever my interests took me. Instead I used the reading bingo card I created to help me diversify my reading and my achievements are highlighted below. 

20th century modern classic	Retelling of  another story	Novel in  Translation	Poetry  Collection	Women's Prize  Longlister
First Nations  author/issues	Essay Collection	New to me author	Biography or memoir	Book on the 1001 list
Debut  Novel	19th Century Classic	Published in 2022	By a favourite author	Non-fiction bestseller
Short Story Collection	Australian Literary  Prize Longlister	Current Affairs / Politics	Protagonist  is over 50	LGBTQIA+ Author/issues
Pre-19th Century  Classic	Non-fiction history	Book in my To Be Read pile	Booker prize longlister	Novella in November

So here's what I read in 2022:

Fiction

I wanted to read some classics this year. I had chosen several to read but somehow didn't go further back than the 20th century as there was so much contemporary fiction to enjoy. I am so pleased that I was able to read two modern classics I had been longing to read but had a hard time tracking down. Evan S Connell's Mrs Bridge and Mr Bridge companion novels tell the story of a marriage in brief vignettes from the perspective of a wife and her husband. I waited until I had both volumes before I began and absolutely loved spending time with the Bridges. 

I continued my interest in feminist retellings of ancient myths which I started with Madeline Miller's Circe in 2020. I read two more Miller's this year - her award winning The Song of Achilles and her short story Galatea. I also purchased two books by Jennifer Saint, and read her novel Ariadne this year. I really enjoyed these books and have lined up Saint's Elektra and Natalie Haynes' Stone Blind for next year.

I love a good crime/mystery novel and this year I read plenty. As planned, I read Chris Hammer's Treasure and Dirt, a welcome departure from the Martin Scarsden series. I also enjoyed Jane Harper's latest novel, Exiles, the third (and perhaps final) in her Aaron Falk series. A new addition to the Australian noir genre is Matthew Spencer and his debut novel Black River, set in Sydney. Finally, after hearing Garry Disher speak at the Sydney Writers' Festival, I started his Hirschhausen series with Bitter Wash Road. I really enjoyed this novel and have acquired the next novels in the series. I also enjoyed Robert Galbraith's latest Cormoran Strike novel, The Ink Black Heart.

I pre-ordered books by some favourite authors. I love Tara Moss' Billie Walker series and inhaled her second instalment The Ghosts of Paris. She is currently writing the third book so I have that to look forward to. Likewise Maggie O'Farrell's The Marriage Portrait arrived upon publication and I have been a huge O'Farrell fan throughout her career and enjoyed her tale of Lucrezia de' Medici's brief life. Jennifer Egan did not disappoint with The Candy House, a follow up to her incredible A Visit from the Goon Squad. Emily St John Mandel's Sea of Tranquility was a marvel, weaving complex themes and timelines to craft a wondrous tale of a time travelling detective in search of a rupture in time.  Each of these titles is highly recommended.

Award longlists provide me with much reading inspiration. I always hope to read the nominated books before the award winner is announced, but I never manage to get through more than a few. The Stella Prize Longlist and the Women's Prize Longlist are both announced on International Women's Day. From these two lists I was introduced to new authors: Miranda Cowley Heller (The Paper Palace), Meg Mason (Sorrow and Bliss), Jennifer Down (Bodies of Light) - each of these titles are among my favourites for the year. From the Miles Franklin Award Longlist I purchased Claire Thomas' The Performance which I have not yet read, and started Michael Winkler's Grimmish, which I had to return to the library before I finished. Jennifer Down won the Miles Franklin for her incredible novel Bodies of Light. The Booker Prize Longlist included many titles which I have, but not yet read. I did manage to read Graeme Macrae Burnet (Case Study) and Claire Keegan (Small Things Like These) before the winner was announced.

This year there were a handful of incredible novels which made a lasting impact that I have most often recommended or gifted to friends. Douglas Stuart's Young Mungo is a heartbreaking story of young love in Glasgow that I could not stop thinking about. Julie Otsuka's The Swimmers was a surprising little novel about a mother/daughter relationship and the sanctuary of a swimming pool. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was a riot. Taylor Jenkins Reid's novel about a reclusive movie star was so enjoyable. Before I had even finished it I ordered a copy for a friend. One of the books I have long had on my shelf is Frank Moorhouse's Grand Days - the first in his Edith trilogy about a young Australian woman working for the League of Nations. I look forward to Edith's adventures.

Of all the novels I read this year it is really hard to pick a favourite. But if I had to select just one, it would be Jennifer Down's Bodies of Light a truly magnificent novel about a woman who reinvents herself time and again after trauma. Unforgettable. 

Non-Fiction

This year I didn't read as much non-fiction as I had planned to. There were just too many great novels clamouring for my attention!

Most of the non-fiction I read had to do with Australian politics. Amy Remeikis' On Reckoning is a pocket-sized book of rage about the treatment of women particularly in light of the rape allegations by Brittany Higgins and the Kate Jenkins review into sexual harassment in Parliament House. Katherine Murphy's Quarterly Essay 'Lone Wolf - Albanese and the New Politics' was a fascinating dissection of the 2022 election. Nicki Savva's recently published Bulldozed explores the downfall of Morrison and the rise of Albanese. The only Australian non-fiction book I read which was not on contemporary politics was Elizabeth Macarthur's Letters, as edited by Kate Grenville which I wanted to read having enjoyed Grenville's novel A Room Made of Leaves.

While I really appreciated all the non-fiction I read this year, if I had to choose one favourite, without hesitation I would select Dave Grohl's memoir The Storyteller, about his life and music. I am a huge fan of Nirvana and the Foo Fighters, and loved reading about Dave's life. 

Other Genres

I didn't get around to essay collections, short stories or graphic novels this year, but I did read a play and a collection of poetry. Zadie Smith's play The Wife of Willesden was written for the Borough of Brent, London's 2020 'Borough of Culture', a modern take on Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Maxine Beneba Clarke is a gifted poet and her collection How Decent Folk Behave is magnificently thought-provoking. 

Best of 2022
I read so many great books this year. I loved and highly recommend:

• Maxine Beneba Clarke - How Decent Folk Behave
• Jennifer Egan - The Candy House
• Tara Moss - The Ghosts of Paris
• Douglas Stuart - Young Mungo
• Taylor Jenkins Reid - The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
• Evan S Connell - Mrs Bridge
• Miranda Cowley Heller - The Paper Palace
• Meg Mason - Sorrow and Bliss
• Niki Savva - Bulldozed 

If I had to choose my absolute favourites, I would pick Jennifer Down's Bodies of Light  and Dave Grohl's The Storyteller.

Plots and Prayers

Journalist Niki Savva has a deep understanding of Australian politics. She served in the Canberra press gallery as a writer for The Australian, and then later for The Age/Sydney Morning Herald, and worked within government as an advisor for then federal treasurer Peter Costello and Prime Minister John Howard. She knows the ins-and-outs of the Liberal party. Drawing on her experience and her extensive contacts, Savva has chronicled the past decade of Coalition government in a series of books, the latest of which has just been published. 

Bulldozed (2022) tells the inside story on how Prime Minister Scott Morrison lost the 2022 election and trashed his own legacy. It is also about the rise of Labor leader Anthony Albanese, the success of the Greens, and the independents set to shake up Australian politics. Along the way she explores Morrison's pathetic bushfire response ('I don't hold a hose, mate'), vaccine stroll out (It's not a race), and how he became minister for everything (when he secretly appointed himself as Minister for five portfolios). By making everything about himself, Morrison failed to govern. He also ensured that those loyal to him, like Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, were burned from being too close to his flame.

It is clear from the outset that Savva doesn't think much of Scott Morrison. She paints a portrait of a petty man - a pathological liar who will throw anyone under a bus to further his own objectives. She laments the way in which Morrison has wielded religion and hatred to push the Liberal party further to the right, surrendering the tenets that have underpinned the party's philosophy. It is also apparent that many of those closest to Morrison questioned his behaviour privately but failed to act. 

The contrast with Anthony Albanese is stark. Consultative, committed and competent, Albanese has taken a different path. He relies on his team - Penny Wong, Jim Chalmers, Tony Burke, Chis Bowen, Linda Burney, Jason Clare, Mark Butler, Clare O'Neil, and so many more. He is also prepared to tackle the important issues. From his first speech on election night, he set the tone for his government and brought hope back to the nation.

I really enjoyed Bulldozed and could not put it down. Savva has crafted a fascinating book. My only quibble would be that it needs an edit to remove the repetition. I imagine that has something to do with last minute inclusions of the revelations about Morrison's secret ministries as Savva had to go back to people she had interviewed previously to seek their views. Ultimately, I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to understand what happened under the Morrison reign and how the political landscape has dramatically changed.

My reviews of two of Savva's previous books are available on this blog:

• The Road to Ruin (2016) - about the downfall of Prime Minister Tony Abbott
• Plots and Prayers (2019) - about the fall of Prime Minister Turnbull and the rise of Scott Morrison 

The First Stone

 In Greek mythology, the story of Pygmalion has inspired countless films, plays, paintings and other creative works. In Metamorphoses, Roman poet Ovid tells the story of a sculptor named Pygmalion who carves his ideal woman in ivory and falls in love with her. The goddess Venus brings this statue, Galatea, to life. The epitome of womanhood, Galatea lives happily ever after with Pygmalion and their daughter Paphos. 

Madeline Miller has written a short story, Galatea (2013), that flips this myth on its head. While Ovid does not explore what happens after Paphos is born, Miller takes advantage of this gap in the tale and explores their story  from the perspective of Galatea, ten years after she was created.

Pygmalion created Galatea to represent the ideal woman with cool ivory skin, striking beauty and every line and curve of her body a perfection. His creation was a response to the women of loose morals he saw around him; his misogyny and hatred forcing him to celibacy and disgust. 

In creating Galatea, he confined her to her room to keep her pure and submissive. Separated from her daughter, she is attended to by nurses and a doctor, in between visits from Pygmalion where she must be attentive and compliant, re-enacting scenes from their past to please him. Can she ever be free of Pygmalion? Will she ever be reunited with her daughter?

American novelist Madeline Miller has crafted a brilliant short story, which modernises an ancient myth. The edition I have is a beautiful hardback book, gifted to me by my mother (Thank you!). While it can be read in half an hour, the story lingers long after.  It is a little gem of a book.

Reviews of Madeline Miller's novels The Song of Achilles (2011) and Circe (2018) are available on my blog.