Here at Underground we’re always looking for ways to support Australian writers, particularly authors from marginalised and underrepresented groups. With that in mind, in 2020 the UW team will be undertaking the Australian Women Writers Challenge. The AWWC was started in 2012 by Elizabeth Lhuede, an Australian writer and reader. From the Challenge’s Background page:…
Perth Fringe Festival for Literary Nerds, by Jess Rae
Perth Fringe Festival is in full swing and if you’re anything like me you adore the arts and like to take full advantage of the shows. This year there are a tonne of shows on for us bookish nerds so I thought I’d compile them all in a list for you: For the grammar-nerd… Comma…
Rejections Letters and You: A learning curve in disguise, by Kate Lomas Glendenning
Image from Canva free stock images After discovering one of your favourite authors received a rejection letter, do you feel better about your own? If you put your hand up, I might be inclined to call you a liar, because no one feels good about rejection. Unfortunately, however, rejection is a large part of a writer’s life….
Review: The Lost Summers of Driftwood by Vanessa McCausland, by Shelley Carter
Title: The Lost Summers of Driftwood Author: Vanessa McCausland Genre: Fiction Publisher: HarperCollins Australia (2020) This book was provided by NetGalley and HarperCollins Australia in exchange for an honest review. From the outside, it seems as though Phoebe has it all. A successful job at luxury champagne company Joet et Halo, a relationship heading for…
Should I Use a Different Author Name? by Jess G.
Image from Unsplash There are many reasons why writers may choose to use a different name to associate with their work. Across history, pseudonyms have been used by writers to get published, to encourage different readers to pick up their books, and to avoid confusion across genres. While we all know the stories of women…
Underground is Seeking Junior Editors
Due to the increasing number of requests we’ve received from emerging editors looking for opportunities to learn, in 2020 Underground will be trialling 6-month rotations of Junior Editors to help emerging editors gain experience. Every six months, 2 editors will be invited to join the editorial team to edit issues and produce content for our…
Bittersweet Farewells: Dylan Dartnell
It is with great sadness that the beginning of 2020 also rings the farewell of the wonderful Dylan Dartnell, who is moving on to pursue his career and other passions. While we’re hoping Dylan may be able to rejoin us at some point in the future, we are extremely excited for him and can’t wait…
Review: What the Woods Keep by Katya de Becerra, by Jemimah Halbert Brewster
Title: What the Woods Keep Author: Katya de Becarra Published: 2018 Genre: YA thriller fantasy Katya de Becerra’s debut YA fantasy novel What the Woods Keep follows the story of Hayden Bellatrix Holland, who is bequeathed her deceased mother’s family estate on her eighteenth birthday. But she can only receive the bequest if she adheres to…
Review: A Constant Hum by Alice Bishop, by Shelley Carter
Title: A Constant Hum Author: Alice Bishop Format: Short stories Genre: Fiction Published: 2019 A Constant Hum is a collection of short stories all relating to the Black Saturday bushfires that tore through the Victorian bush in 2009. Split into three sections, Prevailing, Southerly and Northerly, the book brings the reader increasingly closer to the…
Opportunities for Writers January 2020
Image from Canva free stock images You can also find listings of international publications open for submission, residency opportunities, and writing competitions at Aerogramme Studio Voiceworks 118: As If! Voiceworks issue 118, theme As if! is currently open for submissions. It’s free to submit and only eligible for Australian writers and artists under the age of 25…
7 Apps & Programs to Support Your Writing, by Jess Gately
Have you ever heard Underground’s motto? It was coined by one of our first editors, Mark Flower, back when we first started. It says ‘No war has ever been waged, like that between the pen and the page.’ Mark knew, as many of us do, that finding the right words, the right structure, the right…
Take your Nonfiction to the Next Level by Shelley Carter
Image from Canva Free Stock Images Writing long-form nonfiction can be difficult; there is a fine line between cramming as much interesting information into a book or article, and the resulting work coming out drier than a Gingernut biscuit. Originally, my field of study was journalism, and my lecturers often shared bits of advice that have stayed with me up…
Review: I Am Change by Suzy Zail, by Shelley Carter
Title: I Am Change Author: Suzy Zail Published: 2019 Publisher: Walker Books Australia Genre: Young adult fiction Lillian wants so much more out of life than what is expected of her. Growing up in rural Uganda, her life is destined to follow the same path as her sisters, mother, and so many women before her:…
Freelance Writing Series Part 16: Showing Your Freelance Work on a CV
Article by Jess GatelyImage from Canva Free Stock Images Freelance work is great because it’s flexible and versatile, but that doesn’t mean it has to be the only sort of work you are doing. Whether a long-term opportunity comes up or you find yourself looking at ongoing work and the client would like to see your CV, many freelancer writers struggle…
The Year That Was… by Dylan Dartnell
Image from Canva free stock images The year that was—that still is. You have done so well… but I need just a little more from you. It’s not quite over yet. It’s time to recalibrate. It’s time to reassess those goals you made in January, forgot about well before June but picked up again when the panic…
Review: Highway Bodies by Alison Evans, by Jemimah Halbert Brewster
Title: Highway Bodies Author: Alison Evans Published: 2019 Genre: YA, horror Publisher: Echo Publishing Highway Bodies (2019) is a debut novel by Alison Evans that follows the stories of three groups of queer teens as they fight for survival in and around Melbourne as the city becomes overrun by zombies. The actual cause of the zombification…
Review: Catching Teller Crow by Ambelin & Ezekiel Kwaymullina, by Shelley Carter
Title: Catching Teller Crow Author: Ambelin and Ezekiel Kwaymullina Genre: Young adult fiction Publisher: Allen & Unwin Beth Teller is dead. But she still exists in our world, following her grieving dad as he heads back to work as a detective following her tragic death. He is assigned to investigate a house fire, however there…
Interview: Lisa Wolstenholme, Wild Weeds Press Executive Officer, by Shelley Carter
Lisa Wolstenholme, EO of Wild Weeds Press Firstly, can you tell us a bit about Wild Weeds Press? What kinds of authors do you publish? Wild Weeds Press is a publishing service for KSP Writers’ Centre members and has actually been around for many years, primarily as a logo on group anthologies and not much…
Opportunities for Writers December 2019
Image from Canva free stock images Aerogramme Writer’s Studio also has a list of 31 Writing competitions to enter before the end of the year, including opportunities for prose and poetry, fiction and non-fiction from all over the world. Seeking Youth Curators at Scribblers Festival ‘Scribblers is seeking Youth Curators to help shape a day-long program dedicated…
Review: Invisible Boys by Holden Sheppard, by Jess Rae
Trigger Warnings: This book contains suicide, abuse, homophobia and alcohol. If any of these topics are a potential hazard to you this might not be a book for you. Favourite quote: “I run down the hotel corridor, each day of the past week flashing before my eyes, a whole row of tombstones in the cemetery…
Review: The Orange Grove by Kate Murdoch, by Shelley Carter
Title: The Orange Grove Author: Kate Murdoch Publisher: Regal House Publishing Genre: historical fiction The Orange Grove follows an extensive cast of characters within an affluent French chateau in the 1700s. When the duc takes a new mistress, Letitia, and brings her to live in the chateau, tensions flare within the household. Fellow mistress Henriette…
7 Australian Literary Magazines You Should Read & Submit To, by Jess Gately
Publishing your writing in literary magazines is one way authors and poets give themselves credibility when submitting longer works to publishers. Having a publishing record means that you not only have experience working with editors and publishers but that you are likely to already have a following of readers who recognise your name. To give…
Review: Fabulous Lives by Bindy Pritchard
Fabulous Lives (2019) by Bindy Pritchard From Margaret River Press comes the short story anthology Fabulous Lives by debut author Bindy Pritchard. Each pocket of story speaks to the marginalised sorts that exist on the periphery—almost out of sight—if not for the surreal and whimsical characters they are or situations that they find themselves in….
Issue 28: Invitation
Cover art by Frank Candilaro ‘Invitation’ is special because, apart from being our 28th issue, it is being released on the 10th birthday of Underground’s conception in a coffee shop in Perth, way back in 2009. We’re incredibly proud of the work we do at Underground, and we look forward to growing, reaching new audiences,…
Writing Opportunities for November 2019
Image from Canva free stock images Words on Water, Mandurah, 6-7th November ‘For the very first time, Confluence Festival of Indian Arts in Australia comes to Mandurah for two days in November, bringing a rich tapestry of Indian arts, Bollywood film, dance, yoga, guided meditation and much more. At the heart of Confluence will be the…
Underground Writers 10 Years On
On Friday, November 1st 2019, Underground Writers held a birthday party at PICABar in Perth to celebrate 10 years supporting Australian emerging writers. Our full team of editors were in attendance, and we were joined by a large crowd of supporters. What follows is the speech given on the night by our Editor-in-Chief, Jemimah Halbert…
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…
I’ve got a story to tell; now what? By Jess Gately
‘I’ve got a story to tell, but I don’t know how to go about it?’ As writers, it’s not uncommon for us to have friends come to us and ask us for advice. Usually, some variation of these words is where it starts. It can be difficult to answer that question; there are so many…
Review: From Here On, Monsters by Elizabeth Bryer, by Jemimah Halbert Brewster
From Here On, Monsters (2019) by Elizabeth Bryer In Elizabeth Bryer’s From Here On, Monsters protagonist Cameron is an antiquarian book dealer who has recently inherited a bookshop from her mentor. To help pay the bills she takes on some extra work, a rather abstract occupation producing synonyms in a computer program for a celebrated…
The Writer’s Reading List: Books to help you become a successful writer by Shelley Carter
Becoming a writer involves so much more than just having a talent for telling stories. There are so many aspects you must consider before stepping into a career as a writer (especially as a freelancer), that you may not be prepared for. In this listicle, I’m going to be suggesting some books that will not…
Underground Turns 10
We’re turning 10 and we want to celebrate with you! Our editor-in-chief is flying in from Melbourne to help us get the party started at this special birthday celebration. We’ll be launching our 28th issue ‘Invitation’ and we’ll have hard copies of previous issues available too. If that wasn’t enough, Underground Books will have a…
Freelance Writing Series Part 15: A word from the professionals
Article by Jess GatelyImage from Canva Free Stock Images Everyone works differently. The way we manage our time, our admin, our marketing and our work is a matter of personal taste. While the Freelance Writing Series aims to give you a starting point, let’s check in with our resident professional freelancers Ruth Dawkins, Lindy Alexander and…
Review: On The Sunday, She Created God by Gerii Pleitez, by Shelley Carter
Title: On The Sunday, She Created God Author: Gerii Pleitez Publisher: Kara Sevda Press (2019) Genre: Literary Fiction Novella THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS On The Sunday, She Created God is a gritty, unapologetic glimpse into the lives of urban outcasts. It paints a picture of life in the underbelly of the city, fuelled by…
Writing Opportunities for October 2019
Image from Canva free stock images The Correspondent is currently accepting pitches ‘As conversation leaders, our expectation is that a freelancer who works with us will not just deliver exceptional journalism, but will also join the discussion their journalism sparks. For journalists who produce multiple pieces for us, we will also talk about how we can make…
Review: Alt-Ctrl by Rebecca Freeman, by Jemimah Brewster
Title: Alt-Ctrl Author: Rebecca Freeman Publisher: Thea Press Genre: YA Dystopian Fiction Alt-Ctrl is a YA dystopian novella by West Australian freelance writer and editor Rebecca Freeman. It is set in a not-too-distant future Australia in which climate collapse has forced most citizens into domed cities run by the international corporation PlanetRescue. Governments are at…
7 Journaling Activities to Improve Your Writing by Jess Gately
Image from Canva Free Stock Images Journaling is a popular way for writers to improve their skills and practise their craft on a daily or regular basis. The concept is simple enough; it’s like writing a diary—you write in it every day (or near enough), and you only write as much or as little as you want….
5 Books You Can Read in One Sitting by Shelley Carter
Life gets pretty hectic sometimes. There isn’t always time to dedicate to our hobbies or to relaxation. According to studies, reading can reduce stress up to 68%! That’s why events such as the Australian Reading Hour are so important; to remind us to take a step back from our busy schedules and indulge in some…
Visualisation Tools for Planning Your Story by Jemimah Halbert Brewster
Image from Canva Free Stock Images Let’s say you have an idea for a story but you don’t know where to begin with planning the nitty gritty of character profiles, thematic influences, subplots, and so on. This is very common, particularly when starting out on a novel-writing journey, but can also apply to short stories and…
Freelance Writing Series Part 14: Marketing Yourself and Your Business
Article by Jess GatelyImage from Canva Free Stock Images To make money, you need clients who are willing to pay you for your work. In freelance writing this is often done by pitching yourself to potential clients—pitching story ideas to publications, approaching businesses you’d like to write for, replying to callouts—but there are also things you can do…
Review: Not Bad People by Brandy Scott, by Jess Rae
Title: Not Bad People Author: Brandy Scott Publisher: HarperCollins Genre: Thriller/mystery Isn’t it funny that the books we’re drawn to read reflect a little in what’s going on in our own life? This book came to me when I was trying to figure out some of my own friend-related troubles; mind you mine don’t involve…