My Australian Women Writers Challenge wrap-up

This was the first year I did the Australian Women Writers challenge. I set out to achieve ‘Franklin’ level – 10 books read and six of them reviewed. I ended up reading 39 books and reviewing 30 of them (though most of my reviews are only a paragraph or two: I’m no reviewer). I had no trouble finding interesting books to read, and there were many, many more I would have liked to get through.

The books I read were (in chronological order – asterisks are books I borrowed from the library):

• The Watch Tower, by Elizabeth Harrower
• The Life and Loves of Lena Gaunt, by Tracy Farr
• In Her Blood, by Annie Hauxwell*
• Tarcutta Wake, by Josephine Rowe
• Animal People, by Charlotte Wood*
• Rupetta, by Nike Sulway
• In-human, by Anna Dusk
• The Getting of Wisdom, by Henry Handel Richardson*
• One Foot Wrong, by Sofie Laguna
• Sea Hearts, by Margo Langan*
• Tender Morsels, by Margo Lanagan*
• Caution: Contains Small Parts, by Kirstyn McDermott
• Holiday in Cambodia by Laura Jean McKay
• Cracklescape by Margo Lanagan
• My Beautiful Enemy, by Cory Taylor*
• Above/Below, by Stephanie Campisi and Ben Peek
• Elemental, by Amanda Curtin*
• Anguli Ma, by Chi Vu*
• The Night Guest, by Fiona McFarlane*
• Captives, by Angela Meyer
• The Great Unknown, edited by Angela Meyer
• Gone, by Jennifer Mills
• Pursuing Love and Death, by Heather Taylor Johnson*
• When we Have Wings, by Claire Corbett*
• After Darkness, by Christine Piper*
• The Wonders, by Paddy O’Reilly
• The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf, by Ambelin Kwaymullina*
• Gilgamesh, by Joan London*
• The Ark, by Annabel Smith
• Cracking the Spine, edited by Julie Chevalier
• The Neighbour, by Julie Proudfoot
• Through Splintered Walls, by Kaaron Warren
• The Courier’s New Bicycle, by Kim Westwood*
• Thief of Lives, by Lucy Sussex
• Only the Animals, by Ceridwen Dovey
• Holy Bible, by Vanessa Russell*
• The Other Shore, by Pham Hoa
• Gap, by Rebecca Jessen*
• Cherry Bomb, by Jenny Valentish (still reading now…)

Illustration by H Russell Hall

The biggest effect was on my library borrowing – whenever I visited the library, I always borrowed books by Australian women writers in preference over the rest of my to-read list. I really love my local library, and I’m so glad they have such a great range of writers.

The books I wish I’d read and probably still will one day read are:

• everything by Madeleine St John (have only read The Women in Black)
• Madeleine, by Helen Trinca
• Banana Girl, by Michele Lee
• Steeplechase, by Krissy Kneen
• Madness, by Kate Richards
• Boy, Lost, by Kristina Olsson
• the rest of Charlotte Wood’s books
• the rest of Annabel Smith’s books
• the rest of Nike Sulway/NA Bourke’s books
• Things I did for Money, by Meg Mundell
• Stasiland, by Anna Funder

(seems I kept overlooking non-fiction for fiction…)

The things I learned were:

• I prefer dark, enigmatic, beautiful and slightly confusing books, and a lot of Australian women are writing them: see Jennifer Mills, Margo Lanagan, Sofie Laguna, Nike Sulway, Chi Vu and Anna Dusk.
• I’m so happy I read Margo Lanagan and dread how long it might have taken to get around to it had I not done AWW Challenge.
• I don’t feel confident or comfortable rating or reviewing the books of my peers.

Thanks for having me, Australian Women Writers Challenge.