Cover image from Pixabay free images A Journal of the Plague Year: An Archive of COVID-19 “The Melbourne History Workshop in the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies has launched the Melbourne node of ‘A Journal of the Plague Year: An Archive of COVID-19’ in collaboration with colleagues at Arizona State University, who initiated the project on…
Social Media Finally Invests in Wellbeing by Dylan Dartnell
Cover image from Pixabay free images My uncle has lived a life of first-class flights, with contacts and friends in every country around the world. He has been retired for a number of years but still has a robust calendar of luncheons and ceremonies, and holds a mentoring role for many members of his former…
Bookish Bullet Journal Spreads by Jemimah Halbert Brewster
Image from Canva free stock images Bullet Journaling has been around for a while now, and there are many niche areas you can delve into if bullet journaling is your jam: mood tracking; activity and exercise mapping; garden journaling; cooking journals; art journals; heck, even witchy journaling in a Book of Spells! But my absolute favourite spreads…
Review: The Daughter of Victory Lights by Kerri Turner, by Shelley Carter
Title: The Daughter of Victory Lights Author: Kerri Turner Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: HQ Fiction, HarperCollins Australia imprint, (2020) After serving her country proudly in World War II, Evelyn Bell is not ready to go back to a life of domestic duties. The independence she gained as a member of the all-female 93rd Searchlight Regiment introduced…
Interview: Theresa Smith at the Australian Women Writers Challenge, by Shelley Carter
Theresa Smith is the Team Coordinator and Historical Fiction Editor for the Australian Women Writers Challenge, which Underground is participating in this year. Editor Shelley chatted with her about the Challenge, how she got involved, and how it’s grown since its inception in 2012. Can you tell us about the origins of the challenge, and…
Is literature elitist? By Shelley Carter
Our taste in books is often a very personal and very unique aspect of our personality. Not only do the types of books we read depend on what stories we personally enjoy consuming, it can also depend on the access we have to those books. It is an immense privilege, financially and otherwise, to have…
Review: Challenge Accepted by R J Amos, by Shelley Carter
One of the most difficult aspects of being a writer is remaining consistent with your writing, and pushing through the all-too-common writer’s block. One of the ways that we can combat this is challenging ourselves to write every day, even if it’s just for a month at a time. That’s what author R J (Ruth)…
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….
Opportunities for Writers March 2020
Image from Canva free stock images Parliamentary Book Club taking book nominations The Parliamentary Book Club is a new, bi-partisan initiative led by Senator Hollie Hughes and Graham Perrett MP as part of the Parliamentary Friends of Australian Books and Writers group. Find your MPs by postcode and let them know your recommendation of a book by…
Meet Our New Junior Editors: Max Vos & Ebony Bryant
Underground Writers is excited to welcome Max Vos and Ebony Bryant to the team as Junior Editors for the next six months. Max and Ebony will be part of the editorial team for Issues 30 and 31 while also producing interviews with Australian authors and reviews of Aussie debut books. Get to know our new…
Bookish bucket list: 6 book-inspired experiences across the globe, by Shelley Carter
Image by Free Photos from Pixabay Alice’s Tea Cup, New York City, United States Inspired by the Mad Hatter’s tea party, Alice’s Tea Cup in New York City offers patrons a whimsical high tea complete with finger sandwiches, scones, cakes and, of course, a full menu of different teas! There are three different locations throughout the…
Self-Publishing Series Part 1: What is Self-Publishing and Why Do People Do it?
A post by Jess Gately Image by Free Photos from Pixabay Contrary to popular belief, self-publishing is not a recent phenomenon. Beatrix Potter originally self-published The Tale of Peter Rabbit in 1901 and Margaret Atwood published her first book of poetry Double Persephone in 1961 to critical acclaim. Classic writers such as Mark Twain, Charles…
How to Title Your Creative Piece, by Kate Lomas Glendenning
Do you struggle with finding the perfect title for your work? After writing a poem/short story/novella/novel, do you know what you want to label your work? A title is your first opportunity to stand out from the rest. A title should hint at what the piece is about, so don’t name a sci-fi piece set…
5 Books for Getting the Facts in Fiction Right, by Jess Gately
The art of fiction is making it believable. Whether you’re writing a crime thriller, historical fiction, or science fiction, the realistic details are what allow your readers to suspend their disbelief and follow you into your ‘make-believe’ world. While there are many ways to research for your story, including interviews with experts and using historical…
Issue 29 release!
Cover art by Liana Wright The first edition of the Underground Writers zine for 2020 is here! ‘Romance’ is special because, apart from being our 29th issue, it marks the first issue since 2015, that Jemimah has not compiled the issue, instead mentoring another editor on how to assemble it. Since Underground is about expanding…
Opportunities for Writers February 2020
For lists of opportunities for writers, check out Aerogramme Studio’s Residencies for Writers in 2020 and A Guide to Short Story Contests in 2020, writingWA’s Opportunities page, and Writers Bloc’s Opportunities page Australian Multilingual Writing Project seeking editors and readers The AMWP is is looking for editors and readers fluent in/confident with a language other…
2020 Australian Women Writers Challenge at Underground, by Jemimah Brewster
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,…