The mailbag: what you said about books this week

Our readers on new books, old feelings and funding shortfalls.

Bill Heather and friends at the Kyogle writers festival

This week’s column comprises highlights from the bulging mailbag. First, to Caz Goodwin, who writes absolutely gorgeous children’s books:

“Saturday morning is my favourite time of the week, when I devour The Weekend Australian. As an author and avid reader, I often turn first to your section. I know you don’t often discuss children’s literature, but I thought my picture book, Grace and Mr Milligan, might be of interest.”

It most certainly is, Caz.

The story tackles difficult terrain for children: death and grief. Caz says: “Grace lives next door to old Mr Milligan and his goat Charlie. They are the best of friends. But when Mr Milligan’s beloved goat dies, everything changes.

“Death can be a confronting and confusing concept for young children, and adults often find it challenging to discuss. I wanted to give children a framework to think about loss and grief before they are forced to confront its reality ... I wanted to keep the tone light, yet sensitive ... The book’s focus is not on Charlie’s death, but on Grace’s compassion and kindness.”

The book has been short-listed for the 2024 Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Awards in two categories: Early Childhood and New Illustrator. Winners will be announced on August 16. Good luck everyone, and thank you for writing, Caz.

Grace and Mr Milligan by Caz Goodwin

■ ■ ■

Next up, Ian Stewart writes to say: “Each week, I open the Weekend Australian’s Review section ... it’s full of information always, for an amateur writer like me. Last week, I read the paragraph about FAWNW (the Fellowship of Australian Writers from Northwest Tasmania) and it put me in mind of Wagga Wagga Writers Writers, a writing group that began more than 30 years ago. As treasurer of the organisation I have a natural interest in the ability of 4W, as we are sometimes known, to fund its two part-time employees and its regular activities – engaging writers-in-residence, running writing workshops, conducting monthly readings in a local arts centre and, most importantly, publishing an annual anthology of poetry and prose.

“This year was to have been our 35th consecutive publication ... What has happened instead is that we have, for the first time in more than 10 years, been unsuccessful in gaining funding from Create NSW. This had meant terminating our two employees, postponing the publication of 4W 35, and crawling into recess. “Until we can become financial again, we will run on a voluntary basis. It was heartening to read that FAWNW has been hard at it, self-publishing. Four of our members have done that over the years. Two of them – Marie Clear and John ‘Mukky’ Burke – appeared on June 21 in person at the Curious Rabbit, our arts venue, for the Melbourne Pets Union reading night, promoting their latest anthology.”

Good luck in securing funding elsewhere, Ian, since it seems that you’re doing good work. Also: the Wagga Wagga Writers Writers is a superb name for your group.

■ ■ ■

Also in the mailbag, from Bill Heather: “Hello Caroline, I am writing to let you know how your story in Review about Hilary Burden’s book Undersong stirred my blood. I do strongly believe that white people can journey into Country. I feel a strong spiritual connection with the soil of the place where I lived as a child until the age of 10: Upper Eden Creek. It still feels like home when I revisit it, as I did recently. Maybe because in those long ago years (1941-51) my world was so much smaller than the urban world my grandchildren live in today. We lived close to nature as kids on a dairy farm. The seasonal cycles meant flood and fire were regular events, disrupting life on the land ... anyway, your article about Undersong has prompted me to order a copy of the book to enjoy it myself.”

Bill also attached a copy of a story from his local paper, which ran the week of the Kyogle Readers and Writers Festival (KRaW), which said: “Bill is in his 80s and lives in Brisbane, and he hasn’t missed a Kyogle Writers Festival since it started ... Bill is a retired architect with an interest in creative writing ... Last year he entered a poem in the Kyogle Readers and Writers Festival poetry competition.” Bill tells me the poem was in the shape of the old town clock, which “meant a lot to me, as when we were kids, our parents would take us to town and we had to rendezvous at the clock in Main St to rejoin them when it was time to go back to the farm.”

Lovely stuff.

Bill Heather and friends at the Kyogle writers festival

■ ■ ■

Finally to Barb Bunting, who writes to say: “Dear Caroline, I share your love of short stories. If you haven’t already read The Best Stories of John Morrison, I am passing you on a treasure. It was published in 1988. John Morrison was the winner of the Patrick White Award for Writers of Distinction in 1986. He was born in England in 1904 and emigrated to Australia in 1923. Keep warm,”

I am trying, Barb, and thank you so much for the tip.

■ ■ ■

Today’s pages: don’t miss the review of Oblivion by Patrick Holland. The author lived in Asia for many years, and he has, in my view, perfectly captured the “international world” of high finance and trade, with its sleek jets, sky bars, beautiful girls, and money, money, money. Our critic, Stephen Romei, loved the book; I decided to read it on the basis of his review, and I loved it, too. Take it on a plane, especially if you’re headed to one of the Asian capitals, with the heat and noise of the motorcycles, and the Eurasian couples on giant billboards. Also today: Antonella Gambotto-Burke on a book finished by a daughter after her author-mother died; an extract from a book about Australian women who gave up careers and marriage for the Lord Jesus Christ; and a new poem. I’m taking a little holiday in the US over the 4th of July, so I won’t see you here next week, but do enjoy the reviews I’ve prepared for you.

Caroline Overington is The Australian’s literary editor