Illustrator Charmaine Ledden-Lewis Charmaine Ledden-Lewis makes her debut into the illustration world, capturing the vivid beauty of the Australian Outback, in Bruce Pascoe’s new children’s book Found. As the 2019 recipient of the Kestin Indigenous Illustrator Award, Charmaine was given the opportunity to flex her artistic skills and captivate readers in an emotional story of…
Tag: Magabala Books
Opportunities for Writers May 2020
Cover image from Pixabay free images The Bird Makers Project ‘Through the remnants of shared experience, each stitch becomes bigger than the self. Suitable for beginner and advanced sewers, you will be guided through online resources to create a single black bird made from your own donated piece of black clothing. These black birds will…
Reviews: Baby Business, Little Bird’s Day, & Lucky and Spike by Jess Rae
I could say that I have three nieces and two nephews and so I have a familial interest in children’s books, but I have a personal interest in children’s books too. Children’s books are adorably nostalgic to me and there’s a true art to getting a story across in seemingly a page’s worth of text….
Review: Two new Australian children’s titles, by Kate Lomas Glendenning
Editor Kate Lomas Glendenning reviews two recent children’s book releases from Fremantle Press and Magabala Books. Rodney by Kelly Canby Rodney is another children’s masterpiece by Kelly Canby (who wrote and illustrated the recently published book.) The story follows Rodney, a small tortoise, who dreams to know a life among the treetops. Rodney’s journey is…
Issue 26: Ashes
Cover by Ari Moore Issue 26: Ashes is here for your reading pleasure. This month we bring you a tasting plate of short fiction, flash fiction and poetry by writers from around Australia, including Sophie Roberts, Elaine Mead, Nadia Kim, W.D. Farnsworth and Ash Leonard. Editor Shelley Carter gives us a run-down of Gus Henderson’s…
Review: Wraith by Shane and Alex Smithers, by Jemimah Halbert Brewster
Title: Wraith Author: Shane & Alex Smithers Genre: YA Sci-fi Favourite Part: When they’re sneaking around a ship Wraith, by Shane and Alex Smithers, is the story of James Locke, a sixteen your old boy living with his parents in rural New South Wales. Who can fly. His best friend Darren is training him to…
Review: Blakwork by Alison Whittaker, by Jess Rae
Title: Blakwork Author: Alison Whittaker Genre: Poetry Look at that: the fantasy editor is reviewing poetry! Pigs really do fly after all. I actually read a lot of poetry, but my preferred written form is prose so it’s rare for me to talk about poetry on this platform, especially when we have quite a fantastic…
Review: Clever Crow by Nina Lawrence & illustrated by Bronwyn Bancroft, by Kate Lomas Glendenning
Issue 24’s Review Clever Crow (2018) by Nina Lawrence, illustrated by Bronwyn Bancroft Review by Kate Lomas Glendenning (this review can also be read in the Underground zine, issue 24: Bars) Clever Crow is a stunning union of English and Djambarrpuynu language. Djambarrpuynu is the language of the Indigenous people of North East Arnhem Land, and the…
Issue 24 has arrived!
Issue 24 has arrived! The cover this issue was designed by WA-based artist Jonathan Park, whom you can find on Instagram at @fresh_kb Our Editors shone throughout this year, and they’ve worked hard on the short stories and poems you’ll find within the pages of issue 24. Download the issue for a fresh assortment of short…
Review: ‘Black Cockatoo’ by Carl Merrison & Hakea Hustler, by Shelley Timms
Title: Black Cockatoo Authors: Carl Merrison and Hakea Hustler Genre: Middle grade fiction Favourite part: The inclusion of words from the Jaru language throughout the book – very educational and it added to the authenticity of the story. Favourite quote: “You have his mark, Mia, between your shoulderblades. The dirrarn is your totem. Your jarriny…
Review: ‘Alfred’s War & ‘Benny Bungarra’s Big Bush Clean-Up’
Editor Kate Lomas Glendenning reviews two recent children’s book releases from Magabala Books. Alfred’s War by Rachel Bin Salleh, illustrated by Samantha Fry Alfred’s War is the stunning debut from Rachel Bin Salleh and Samantha Fry. The story follows Alfred, an Indigenous veteran who served in The Great War (now known as World War One),…
Interview: Jo Hunt, book designer, by Shelley Timms
An interview with book designer Jo Hunt, by Shelley Timms We’re all guilty of purchasing books based on the pure beauty of their covers. I have a whole shelf dedicated to the “oh, but it was so beautiful!” justification, and do not regret it one bit. It’s so easy to take a book at face…
Review: Songs That Sound Like Blood by Jared Thomas, Jess Gately
Title: Songs That Sound Like Blood Genre: New Adult Fiction Themes: Coming of Age, Change, Coming Out, Racism Favourite quote: “[Dad] always said that people are supposed to move, that it recharges and calms us down. He explained that our ancestors formed our country perfectly to give us everything we needed. Water and bush tucker were…
Review: Grace Beside Me by Sue McPherson, review by Kate Lomas Glendenning
Caution: strong language quoted in this article – not recommended for readers under 16 years of age Title: Grace Beside Me Author: Sue McPherson Genre: Young Adult Favourite part: When Fuzzy explains Gran’s meticulous rules on how to hang out the washing Favourite quote: “I never enjoyed playing with dolls as a child so I wasn’t…
Jess G.’s TBR list – round 2
The great thing about the New Year is that I get a chance to re-evaluate my reading goals. In 2017 I had two main goals: to read more and to read things outside of my usual genres. Whilst I accomplished my second goal, I did not accomplish my first. Looking back I realise that the…