GUEST POST: Would you like a dash of sunshine with your noir? by Lisa Walker

We're celebrating the publication of Lisa Walker's new young adult fiction novel this week, Trouble is my Business. This second Olivia Grace novel is another rip-roaring mystery, with nods to Nancy Drew and Sherlock Holmes, and a flavour of Veronica Mars. This Byron Bay set caper will definitely keep you warm this winter! The release of Trouble is My Business coincides perfectly with an exciting announcement from Sisters in Crime. Lisa's first Olivia Grace mystery, The Girl with the Gold Bikini, has…

Wakefield Press acquires Roz Bellamy’s memoir about mental illness, queerness and Jewish identity

Wakefield Press is delighted to announce the acquisition of world rights to Roz Bellamy’s Mood, a memoir exploring the intersections of mental illness, queerness, gender diversity and Jewish identity. Bellamy is the online editor at Archer magazine and has just completed the prestigious US literary publisher Tin House’s Summer Workshop, working on the manuscript for Mood. Last year, Mood was longlisted for the Kill Your Darlings Unpublished Manuscript Award. An earlier version was shortlisted for the Scribe Nonfiction Prize. Read on…

GUEST POST: The Homesless, by Stephen Orr

Stephen Orr has always been a supporter of the arts in Australia. His award-winning Time's Long Ruin was adapted into Innocence, an Australian opera, in 2013. In this special guest piece for the blog, Stephen laments the fate of Australian stories, and how we’re losing the battle to keep home-grown culture alive. Read on for his thoughts on the arts in Australia.

GUEST POST: Down Beside the Sea with Deb and Ron Kandelaars

Victor Harbor: Down beside the sea is the fascinating story of how Victor Harbor came to be, told by the people who live and work in this breathtakingly beautiful coastal locale. Compiled by Deb and Ron Kandelaars, Victor Harbor represents years of research, memories and experiences from the people and places that make Victor Harbor what it is today. Earlier in the year, Deb and Ron delivered a wonderful talk to a captive audience, explaining the provenance…

POETRY SPOTLIGHT: 'Marta Saulnier' by Peter Bakowski and Ken Bolton

Our spotlight shines on a new poetry collection by Peter Bakowski and Ken Bolton, Nearly Lunch. Fresh off the press, Nearly Lunch is another collaboration from these two poets, after their previous Elsewhere Variations (also published by Wakefield Press), which is a companion volume.

GUEST POST: Winnie Pelz AM responds to 'Elaine Haxton'

Arts legend Winnie Pelz, AM, artist, writer, arts administrator, and current affairs presenter, has written a wonderful response to Elaine Haxton: A colourful artist and life, Lorraine Penny McLoughlin's biography of the late Australian artist. Winnie has been kind enough to share her words with us, and has given permission for us to republish them here. Read more about Elaine Haxton in Poppy Nwosu's own response to the book here. Cover image: Mexican Fields, 1939 (detail)