Sydney Writers' Festival: Big Beginnings - Ferdia Lennon, Kaliane Bradley & Dominic Amerena

Last week I was lucky enough to attend the Sydney Writers' Festival. 

The good news is that I was able to attend three events in person: a talk by Hannah Kent about her new memoir Always Home, Always Homesick (which I will write about in a separate post with a review of the books), Untrue Crime and Big Beginnings. 

Big Beginnings

In this panel discussion, three debut novelists discuss their emergence as writers and the journey to publication.

 

I was really looking forward to this one. Big Beginnings was a panel discussion between Ferdia Lennon (Irish, Glorious Exploits), Kaliane Bradley (British, The Ministry of Time) and Dominic Amerena (Australian, I Want Everything). The panel facilitated by Australian author Madeleine Gray, whose debt book Green Dot I loved and reviewed very recently.

 

Although I had hoped to try to read the books before the session, the only book I had read was The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley (my thoughts here).

 

This session focused on their journey to publication. Gray led them chronologically through their writing process, seeking an agent and achieving publication. All three authors reflected on being taken by surprise at the speed of their success once their agents had found a publisher and not quite believing that they had found themselves so successful so quickly.

 

Interestingly, Bradley spoke about seeking an agent and publisher on an anonymous basis. Her fear was that because she worked in the publishing industry she would be picked up because of her connections, something that she wanted to avoid. Of the three authors, she spoke the most about the gruelling editing process, which for her took 12 months. I thought this was interesting because something I felt as I read her book was that it was trying to be too many things at once and could perhaps of needed a little more editing.

 

Lennon clearly had a long-standing fascination with Syracuse that he has been able to tap into when writing his novel, and Amerena spoke on his novel arising from what was a subplot in a different novel he had been writing. It was an interesting reflection for me on the creative process – that a story can arise from within a story. A common thread in the discussion of Lennon and Amerena was the strength of voice in their characters which helps the characters really come to life for the reader.

 

In short, this session was a fascinating insight into the world of first-time publication. It tried to demystify the process and experience of debut novelists, while celebrating the creative sparks that lead to powerful storytelling. Each author brought a different path and perspective, but what united them was a shared sense of surprise at their success and a deep commitment to their craft. It was especially interesting to hear about the behind-the-scenes work (for example, editing, self-doubt, persistence) that creates the polished books we read. 

WWW Wednesday: 4 June 2025

 WWW Wednesday is a meme that is hosted by Taking on a World of Words. It's a very simple premise of sharing with others The Three Ws:

What are you currently reading? 

What did you recently finish reading? 

What do you think you’ll read next?

Just finished

I'm starting with just finished because I have just finished two books. A few days ago, I finished Bliss by Peter Carey which was absolutely bonkers and quite frankly I am proud of myself for finishing it. Last night I finished reading The Scholar by Dervla Tiernan. It's the second book in the Cormac Reilly series. I felt very ambivalent about the first book but I am on holidays and wanted an easy read. I am glad I persevered because The Scholar was far better than the first book and I am now looking forward to the next. 

What's next?

Last night I finished my book - this morning I woke up with the freedom of choice. I am on my way home from a few days away, so I have time up my sleeve to choose. I think that it will either be The Good People by Hannah Kent or The Weekend by Charlotte Wood, but only time will tell. 

Literary Wives: The Constant Wife by W. Somerset Maugham

Literary Wives is an on-line book group that examines the meaning and role of wife in different books. Every other month, we post and discuss a book with this question in mind: 

What does this book say about wives or about the experience of being a wife? 

Don’t forget to check out the other members of Literary Wives to see what they have to say about the book!

Other participants:

• Kate of booksaremyfavouriteandbest
• Naomi of Consumed by Ink
• Rebecca of Bookish Beck
• Kay of What Me Read

This is my very first foray into the Literary Wives Book Club and I feel very lucky to be able to participate. It's been such a long time since I had the opportunity to talk books with others. This is definitely one of the great things about the internet. 

The Constant Wife by W Somerset Maughan

Maughan's The Constant Wife is the first play that I have read for some time. Written in the 1920s, it was considered very subversive in its depiction of marriage and gender roles. The play centres on Constance Middleton. Constance appears to be a lucky wife who lives a charmed life married to a successful doctor. What the audience soon learns is that her husband is having an affair with her best friend. When the news is eventually broken to Constance, she admits to knowing it all along. She doesn't feign heartbreak and instead, once the news is out in the open, Constance decides that the time has come to reclaim her independence by pursuing a career and her right to romantic and sexual autonomy. 

What does The Constant Wife say about wives or about the experience of being a wife? 

What sticks with me the most from reading The Constant Wife is the double standards in the standard by which men and women were held. Constance's husband, John, is excused for his infidelity. His infidelity is put down to an inherent weakness of males, who simply can't help themselves (poor things) and it's therefore considered excusable, particularly seen in Constance's mother's attitude toward his affair. This attitude absolves him of responsibility because he is simply a man who is a slave to his impulses. As a woman born into today, I almost don't blame them for taking this attitude. In truth, to me as a woman born into today, it feels like necessary mental gymnastics that women needed to enter into to cope with their lack of power within marriage and broader society. 

The double standards were even clearer considering how Constance was expected to react in response to discovering her husband's affair. Again, Constance's mother provides the perfect example of this. She expects Constance to maintain appearances to others and to preserve her relationship despite her husband's disrespect and betrayal. 

This is the experience of being a wife in the 1920s (and no doubt at other times) - men's affairs are tolerated - women must be forgiving, whether they feel that way or not. Most people, whether wilfully or otherwise, didn't see this as a double standard, but Maugham through Constance, calls society out. 

Double standards were then on show when John discovers that Constance may be about to embark upon an affair. Given his infidelity and her economic independence, Constance doesn't feel the need to hide this from him. His reaction, however, is to respond to her announcement with anger and control. He talks of 'not letting her' do such a thing and declares that she is doing him the greatest of injury. Although Constance reminds him that he conducted an affair with her best friend, he brushes it aside as not the same thing and demands to know whether this is instead her payback. 

This relates to something that I found a little striking in how their relationship is portrayed and that's in the way that Constance and John both in a way are faking their relationship in some way. How they came to be together is touched on in such a light way. It's almost presented as if Constance had numerous romantic options as a young lady, and John was the one the gentleman who seemed best. So, she chose him, and called it love, and carried on with her life until the events of the play unfold. John, while having an affair, pretends to be the perfect doting husband. Constance pretends to be the perfect wife, going so far as to hide her knowledge of the affair for some time. Constance's experience of being a wife exists almost on the surface, and when that surface becomes disturbed, she is forced to deal with something more important and integral - her experience of being herself and what it means to value herself as an independent person. John 

How does she do this? Shock - horror. She seeks employment by becoming an interior designer. That's right, she seeks not just emotional independence from her husband but financial independence as well. For a very long the experience of being a wife meant being financially dependent upon her husband. We know that many women find themselves still unable to escape dangerous relationships for this very reason. Constance claims her financial dependence and to demonstrate her freedom, Constance transfers money into John's bank account for her board and lodging. John clearly feels emasculated but Constance stands her ground, insisting on paying for her room and board so that "I could tell you, with calm and courtesy, but with determination, to go to hell."

Nonetheless, although Constance claims her economic independence which would have been very progressive for the time, it is still within the bounds of the gendered society within which they lived. Constance feels the need to pay board and lodging to her husband, despite it being their family home. Her contribution as mother and home maker is not sufficiently recognised to suggest that she may have some ownership of their shared home. John still spoke of allowing Constance to work - "Anyhow, you wanted to work and I yielded". When Constance talks about potentially commencing an affair of her how, John speaks of 'not allowing her'. I suspect the reality is that given his position as a male in 1920s society, he most likely could have prevented her if he so chose.

In the end, The Constant Wife reveals that being a wife (at least in the world of the 1920s) meant living within carefully scripted gender roles that almost meant sacrificing your own self to preserve appearance. Through Constance, Maugham exposes the unspoken truth of marriage and the double standards that can exist in marriages as a result of gender toles. Constance shows the strength it takes to speak those truths and step outside the bounds of what society allows for her gender. I think what I am trying to say is that being a wife is a role in marriage, but it is also a role within society. Constance’s ultimate choice is to value herself beyond that role and to be true to to herself.

May 2025: What I read

I enjoyed the month of May - reading wise. I didn't push myself too hard. I mostly stuck with books that I either knew I would love, or I knew wouldn't tax my little grey cells. I had a rough month workwise, and so I wanted ease of reading and a great story. 

Always Home, Always Homesick by Hannah Kent and The Ladies Guide to Utter Ruin by Alison Goodman were absolutely my favourite books of the month. Both of which I had pre-ordered and read as soon as they were released. I was lucky enough to see Hannah Kent speak at the Sydney Writer's Festival about her memoir Always Home, Always Homesick and was even able to have her sign a copy of The Good People, the last of her books that I have yet to read. And The Ladies Guide to Utter Ruin – what can I say, so much fun this series. I can't wait for the next one.

The Lost Man by Jane Harper and The Nowhere Child by Christian White are both Australian crime / mystery books. Jane Harper is such a reliable author. You can be sure that you will read an engaging mystery that will keep you page turning until the end, and The Lost Man was no exception.

The Nowhere Child is Christian White's debut novel and is the story of a woman who discovers that she was kidnapped as a child from a small US town and taken to Tasmania to live a new life with new parents. This is the story of her discovery and exploration of what her true story is. I had read quite a few good reviews of this book. For me, I would say it was OK. I mean, I read it. It was harmless. But it didn’t really do it for me.

The Constant Wife by W Somerset Maugham - I read this for the new Literary Wives book club that I have joined. It's been that long since I read a play - it was actually a really enjoyable new experience. Review pending as part of the book club. 

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by JK Rowling - this was my insomnia read for the month of May. A reliable read I know I love and can just as easily pick it up and put it down in the middle of the night as I fight my demons and search for sleep. 

Sydney Writers' Festival: Untrue Crime - Shankari Chandran, Ian Rankin & Kate McClymont

Last week I was lucky enough to attend the Sydney Writers' Festival. 

Not to bore anyone too much with my backstory, but...... I used to attend the Sydney Writers' Festival religiously. I would spend all day on the Saturday and Sunday going from event to event and attend some extra events throughout the week. With the arrival of my children, it just became harder and harder to find the time between birthday parties and kid's activities and eventually I let it go. 

This is the first year I have really made an effort, and it was really worth the wait. The Festival itself has changed a fair bit. The venue has changed, but more so it had gone from a mostly free event to a mostly paid event. I don't necessarily blame the Festival. With rising costs, I am sure that this was a necessary evil, even if it may mean that it becomes less accessible for a wider audience. There were live streaming tickets that could be purchased - and I purchased these for the Saturday and Sunday and was able to watch a wide range of sessions across the weekend. 

The good news is that I was able to attend three events in person: a talk by Hannah Kent about her new memoir Always Home, Always Homesick (which I will write about in a separate post with a review of the books), Untrue Crime and Big Beginnings. 

Untrue Crime: Kate McClymont, Shankari Chandran & Ian Rankin

Novelist Shankari Chandran, investigative journalist Kate McClymont and Diamond Dagger Award winner Ian Rankin discuss the line between fact and fiction in the stories they tell about crime. 

This session was hosted by Australian author Michael Robotham and explored the authors' experience of truth in their crime writing. It added variety to have Kate McClymont on the panel to provide the perspective of someone writing from a non-fiction / journalist perspective where the crimes that she writes about are true. Kate spoke so articulately and with great humour about the challenges of writing true crime: doing the research, collecting the sources, testing the sources, balancing detail with a desire to engage the reader and, as a lawyer, my favourite part - avoiding defamation proceedings. 

Chandran and Rankin spoke about the importance of using facts and accuracy, as far as possible, to ground their fiction in reality and create a more authentic experience for the reader. I loved hearing Ian Rankin talk about his approach of writing his first draft as the starting point - and researching second. He spoke about setting one of his crimes on a particular street in Edinburgh and then finding during his research that the street had been dig up to put tram lines down. Rather than move the crime, he wrote the road works into the story, making his detectives have to tackle with where they would park their cars and the mortuary van as they investigated the crime. 

In truth, I hadn't enjoyed Unfinished Business by Chandran as much as I would have liked to (my review here). It helped to hear Chandran speak. I identified with her in some ways. We are similarly aged, both lawyers, both mothers doing the balancing act. 

She spoke about the ethics of gathering information to use in her writing – ethics in crime writing was a theme throughout the session. Chandran’s book deals with the oppression and war against the Tamil population of Sri Lanka. She spoke about understanding the trauma of those individuals who experienced the war and therefore not approaching individuals for their stories and instead focusing on what is publicly available or formal government sources. However, she did say in some circumstances individuals approach her, hoping she can tell their story in a way that they can’t do in Sri Lanka. In those cases, she does listen to their story, and it might form part of her writing.

 

McClymont is bound by journalistic ethics, and Rankin spoke about basing his writing on true stories that were already in the public sphere. He did share a story of a woman turning up a speaking event and realising that she was one of the women involved in the case that he had based his book on. It would have been interesting to hear some more reflections from Ranking about the ethics of crime writing in that respect. If it’s a true case, happening to real people out their in community – does the fact that is has been reported on in the media mean that its fair game to use in fiction writing? I think Rankin would obviously say yes.

Overall, this was a thoughtful and engaging session that highlighted the blurred boundaries between fact and fiction in crime writing. Each panellist brought a unique perspective to the ethical and practical challenges of writing about crime, whether imagined or real. As a lawyer and a reader, I was particularly struck by the depth of reflection around ethics and how writers reckon with the consequences of telling stories drawn from real lives, and the responsibility they bear in doing so.

 

WWW Wednesday: 28 May 2025

 WWW Wednesday is a meme that is hosted by Taking on a World of Words. It's a very simple premise of sharing with others The Three Ws:

What are you currently reading? 

What did you recently finish reading? 

What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently reading

I love these books. To be honest recently with some unpleasant happenings at work, I had been finding it quite hard to get into reading anything (other than Harry Potter). So, yesterday I went back to something tried and test - the Tea Ladies series. I recently read the first book and loved it. A cosy detective mystery is a great way to lose yourself in a story that isn't too taxing on the mind. And it's been a great choice - I just love these tea ladies. 

Recently finished

 

I had read a few good reviews of this and found it at a book fair that I went to recently, so it seemed like it was meant to be. I love the read the debut novel of an Australian author and I'm glad that I read it - but it wasn't quite as satisfying as I would have liked. The ending arrived too suddenly and finished too soon and, in the end, the resolution to the mystery just seemed a little.... far-fetched. 

Up Next

Who know?? But I think perhaps: 

I saw Hannah Kent speak at the Sydney Writer's Festival recently and I think that she is just fantastic. This is the last of her books that I haven't read, and I was lucky enough to have her sign it. 

Review(s): Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead and James by Percival Everett

Although I know it is unusual to review two books at once, I read these one after the other and found many common themes between them. I reflected on the narratives and the themes together and so it felt more natural for me to review them together. 

Underground Railroad is a Pulitzer Prize–winning novel which reimagines the historical Underground Railroad as a literal underground train system used by enslaved people to escape bondage in the American South. It follows the plight of Cora, a young woman fleeing a Georgia plantation, as she travels from state to state, encountering different, often horrifying manifestations of racism and oppression. It's essentially a blend of historical fiction and speculative fiction - or historical fiction with speculative elements. It certainly feels far more historical than anything in the way that it describes the brutality of the lives of enslavement that so many people were subjected to.  

James is a reimagining of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, but this time told from the perspective of Jim, the enslaved man who accompanies Huckleberry on his journey. Similarly to Underground Railroad, James is a piece of historical fiction with speculative element. Everett imagines that enslaved people only speak in the stereotyped dialect when white people are listening. As the story unfolds, it is revealed that this use of language by the enslaved is a strategic performance rather than a reflection of their reality. What I took from this is that Everett was trying to reclaim the voice of the enslaved by challenging the historical depiction of enslaved people as ignorant or unintelligent. It acknowledges that white cultures (whether in the past or present) often see and hear what they expect to see and hear.

These novels have so much in common. From a literary perspective, they are both about centreing the perspective and experiences of black characters who were enslaved and voiceless, and showing them as complex and autonomous people. Of course, they both touch on violence and systemic oppression by white culture, something that continues into the present day in its evolving forms. They both deal with how their characters fight their dehumanisation through whatever acts of resistance that are available to them. 

In the end though, I think what was most emotional for me was how each book explores freedom as an illusion for those escaping slavery. Both Jim and Cora go on their own unique journeys to freedom, but in the end, this doesn't result in their liberation. They are still encumbered by loss, racism and violence even as they reach 'freedom'. It's sad and emotional, but what I believe is an authentic representation of 'freedom' would really have meant.