Melancholic Meanderings through 'The Vanished Land'

Richard Zachariah’s Vanished Land is an ode to what once was within the picturesque Western Districts of Victoria. His rich language frames anecdotes of rose-tinted childhood musings alongside despairing soliloquies on the modern state of the once majestic region. With a balance and pace that immerses the reader within the author’s thoughts and understanding, Zachariah opens up a world that has been lost. A keen July wind touches us. I’m standing at the entrance…

An introduction to Ashton's Hotel

Rhondda Harris came across something fascinating when researching in the State Records of South Australia at Gepps Cross for an archaeological dig at the old Adelaide Gaol: a long-lost journal written by the gaol's first governor, William Baker Ashton. But we'll let Rhondda introduce the journal herself through this short preamble from her book, Ashton's Hotel. This includes an excerpt from the journal itself which, yes, may contain some 'mistakes'. As Rhondda says in the book, 'I have turned off the autocorrect and…

The mysterious sands of Qatar

Sally van Gent has lived adventurously. She's dined with the Bedouin, dived deep into the Arabian Sea, and climbed aboard a tanker for a midnight rendezvous. Her latest memoir, The Navy-blue Suitcase, is a collection of stories from her travelling life told with 'optimism, humour, an indefatigable faith in a better future, and a powerful sense that life is what you make of it, no matter what cards you’ve been dealt' (ANZ LitLovers LitBlog). Today we're…

Another extract from Quiet City

With the upcoming launch of Quiet City by Carol Lefevre on Sunday at West Terrace Cemetery, we couldn't resist sharing another extract. This one comes from the chapter "Darkness in Daylight" and the illustration is by Anthony Nocera. But there is, too, a long and more troubling list of activities that eventually became the focus of a government investigation. They involved the appropriation of bodies for dissection, especially from public institutions such as the gaol, the lunatic…

An Extract from Quiet City

The following extract is taken from "Unhappy Women" in Quiet City by Carol Lefevre. Quiet City explores the extraordinary and unusual lives of the people now resting beneath the tombstones of West Terrace Cemetery. The illustration accompanying this extract is by Anthony Nocera. The launch will be taking place at West Terrace Cemetery on May 15 at 2pm. Carol will be leading a tour of the cemetery and taking us to some of her favourite grave sites. Unhappy Women Of all the unhappy women in…