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John Mystery and the Adventure Castle

The wonderful librarian at Monash University’s Rare Books (Stephen Perrin) has shared with me just a few of the many ‘John Mystery’ publications in the collection. John Mystery was an Australian children’s publishing phenomenon. He published hundreds of small, cheap books for children during the late 1930s and 1940s, for very … Continue reading

Author : nike
Comments : 22 Comments

Australian Fairy Tales and William (Billy) Hughes

Here’s a delightful little snippet from my recent sojourn in the Monash University Rare Books Collection. One of the books in their collection is Australian Fairy Tales, by Hume Cook, illustrated by Christian Yandell. The book was first published in 1925 and includes the following rather interesting Foreword by the RT. HON. W. … Continue reading

Author : nike

The Butterfly’s Ball & The Grasshopper’s Feast

For the past few weeks I’ve been in Melbourne, on research leave, working on two novels (the endgame of one, the beginnings of another), attending conferences and  so on. One of the most excellent things I’ve been doing is messing about in the Monash University’s Rare Books Collection, most specifically … Continue reading

Author : nike

Saint Barbara

A beautiful oak carving of Saint Barbara was purchased by the NGV in 1945, the last year of the war. She was first put on display in the Buvelot Gallery in February, 1946. In the National Gallery of Victoria’s quarterly bulletin (Volume II, No I, 1946) Daryl Lindsay* writes: The French saint … … Continue reading

Author : nike
Comments : 2 Comments

‘Abed the Opportunist’ by Stephen Denham

Finally! A new fairy tale from one of my talented students at USQ. This one is an original tale by Stephen Denham. Stephen is a film-maker/singer-songwriter currently in the final year of a Creative Arts degree at USQ. Doctors determined that writing was in his blood from a very early age … Continue reading

Author : nike
Comments : One Comment

‘Wisteria’ by Kerina Dearling

Continuing with the festival of awesomeness … another extract from a piece by one of my fabulous students at USQ, Kerina Dearling. Kerina has been reading and writing poetry and fairy tales this semester in CWR2001. Kerina is a young writer who has been developing her skills over the last three … Continue reading

Author : nike
Comments : 2 Comments

Uchronic, or queer in no time: wilful subjects in historical fiction

And one more. This is a draft abstract for a paper I hope to deliver at the annual conference of the Australasian Association of Writing Programs (AAWP), in Melbourne this November. The conference title is: Writing the Ghost Train: Rewriting, Remaking, Rediscovering. Abstract: Uchronic, or queer in no time: wilful … Continue reading

Author : nike

Death and the m(AI)den

The following is the abstract for a paper I’m hoping to deliver at the upcoming inaugural conference of the Australasian Death Studies Network: Death, Dying, and the Undead: Contemporary Approaches and Practice. The conference (which I’ll be attending either way!) will be held at UCQ’s Noosa Campus on October 25 … Continue reading

Author : nike

fifty-nine (the wind and his wife)

In the winter, the wind and his wife began to dwindle. They put a candle in the window, to light the path to their door. No one came near but the owls, who watched the old couple bend, and fetch, and fade. They were barely a whisper, barely a wisp. … Continue reading

Author : nike

‘Pig Face and Ugly Stump’ by Bronwyn Palmer

My students are awesome! Have I told you that lately? No? Hmmm … I think you are not listening to me. Let me explain. I have these students, and they are FABULOUS. Just read this story by Bronwyn Palmer, and you will see. Bronwyn is currently studying counselling part-time at … Continue reading

Author : nike
Comments : 6 Comments
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