Come Writers & Critics

Raising bronze for women, new prizes and poems, and a word about grace in this week’s Come Writers and Critics column.

Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley will unveil a statue of the author of Australia's first children's book.

You will perhaps remember an item from some months ago about Charlotte Waring Atkinson. She was, according to the good folk at Wingecarribbee Women Writers in NSW, a remarkable Australian.

“She set out alone from England in 1826 to work as a governess for the Macarthur family in the new colony,” says Lynn Watson, who is one of her champions. “She fell in love with and married wealthy agriculturist, James Atkinson. When he died suddenly, Charlotte was left with four small children and a vast estate to manage. She survived a brutal ambush by a local bushranger, a disastrous and abusive second marriage and she won a landmark court battle to retain an income and custody of her children.”

She also wrote and published Australia’s first children’s book – A Mother’s Offering To Her Children – which became a best-seller.

The opening page of Charlotte Atkinson’s book, thought to be the first printed Australian children's book.

The Charlotte Project represented the group’s determination to have a statue raised in her honour, and I’m pleased to report that they have reached their goal. NSW governor Margaret Beazley will unveil the bronze at the Berrima Market Place Park on December 9.

Watson, says it’s been an amazing journey: “We had an ambitious target to raise $80,000 but we have been deeply humbled by the enthusiasm and generosity of everyone.”

Charlotte will be the first local woman to be publicly commemorated with a statue. The only other female statue depicts the fictional character, Mary Poppins, in Bowral’s Glebe Park. The unveiling ceremony will take place in the Market Place Park in Berrima at 10.30am. Well done everyone, and all are welcome to attend the ceremony.

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The $10,000 Hope Prize is open for submissions. Essays should celebrate the themes of hope, courage and resilience. The prize is being run in partnership with Simon & Schuster and Readings, and in support of Beyond Blue, and it seeks to discover new writing talent, as well as encouraging writers to think about better mental health.

Winners and highly commended submissions will be featured in a published anthology published by Simon & Schuster Australia. The royalties will be donated to the mental health charity. The esteemed judging panel includes the former Prime minister Julia Gillard, former Governor-General Dame Quentin Bryce, author and academic, Tony Birch, chairman of Readings Mark Rubbo and Simon & Schuster MD, Dan Ruffino.

It is open to writers over age 18 from all walks of life, regardless of background or experience. There is a $22 entry fee to cover administrative costs. To learn more about the prize, please visit thehopeprize.com

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In response to a review last week of Julia Baird’s new book, Bright Shining, we received a note from A.R. (Sandy) Grant, Dean of Sydney, St Andrew’s Anglican Cathedral, who says: “Helen Elliott was kind enough to mention the standard conclusion to an Anglican Church service of prayer: ‘May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ’ etc., in her review ... It may seem ungracious of me to note an error. She added ‘the grace which passeth all understanding’. but the reference should be to the ‘peace which passeth all understanding’ (both phrases discussed here are direct quotes from the Bible.)”

Sandy notes the importance of peace, truth and grace in Anglican thinking and he’s intrigued by a book about grace.

“Now all that remains for me is to work out whether to add Baird’s book to my Christmas reading wish list,” he says.

I would thoroughly recommend that course of action. It’s a gorgeous work. Full of grace.

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There will be a cruise to celebrate the life and work of the Australian poet Robert Adamson on December 2. Poets Ali Cobby Eckermann, Luke Davies, Judith Beveridge, Claire Potter and Robbie Coburn will be reading and reminiscing during a three-hour trip down the Hawkesbury River. The event will include a special introduction by Robert’s partner, photographer Juno Gemes, a Buddhist blessing by Venerable Thubten Chokyi, and will be hosted by poet Michele Seminara. For details go here.

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Today’s pages: I’m absolutely loving the boom in so-called “cosy crime” (highly amusing murder mysteries, such as the ones written by Richard Osman). I’m pleased to present a review today of Benjamin Stevenson’s Everyone On This Train is a Suspect, which is firmly cosy and crimey. The murders take place on The Ghan, and it’s all good fun. Also today, our chief literary critic, Geordie Williamson, tackles the new Richard Flanagan; we have a new poem, some Notable Books, and please don’t miss Peter Craven’s take on the new Robert Galbraith (who is JK Rowling in disguise).