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Read the latest news and bulletins, essays, features, opinions from our bestselling authors. Find out what's being said, debated, and discussed in the world of books and ideas.
When I was younger I was very fat. I was 93 kilos, and because nothing in the shops would fit me properly, I used to sew my own clothes. My brothers said my creations looked more like curtains than dresses, but at least I didn’t have to face the discomfort of trying on too-tight clothes in the shops. One of the things I loved to do when I was fat was to read weight loss success stories in magazines....
‘Hates having to wear earphones to block out screaming children at a cafe’ read the status update of a ‘friend’ of a friend on Facebook. Now, I’m sure his Facebook friend is a warm, considerate person. No doubt she recycles, calls herself a feminist and wouldn’t hesitate to give Tony Abbott a wedgie if ever she spotted him at the beach. Judging from the number of Facebook causes she supports, she’s...
The best things in life – wine, clothes and books never go out of fashion and continue to be loved and useful. One of the joys of working on the Vintage imprint is the venerable history we have to call upon and be inspired by. Over the fifteen years Vintage Australia has been around it has provided a home for wonderful new authors such as Deborah Forster and authors we have long-loved like David Malouf. Have...
If a novel or short story doesn’t surprise the writer it won’t surprise the reader. Almost from a whim, a solid, real-seeming structure evolves to a length of around 80,000-140,000 words. If the writing goes well there’s a first draft in twelve to eighteen months. All seven of my novels up to this one grew in this way from a word or a phrase that wouldn’t let me go. But “When Colts Ran”...
I’d always thought of myself as a pretty positive person until a couple of years ago when I read through a diary I’d been keeping. It struck me that it was quite possibly the greatest whinge-fest in the history of the world. That diary (and a number preceding) appeared to be the repositories of all manner of angst and worry – and self-indulgent miserablising (I know it’s not a real word, but I’m...
The Random Blog is the official blog for Random House Australia's authors. Each month four of our authors get a week to blog about anything and everything! Random House Australia (RHA) is part of the Random House Group, one of the largest publishing houses in the world, owned by the German media company Bertelsmann AG. Carl Bertelsmann established his company in 1835, and early publications included...
