by Stephanie Holt AE
Discover the writing of EdVic members.
If you’re looking for summer reading or gift ideas, consider the following recent books, written by some of our multi-talented Victorian editors.
For lovers of contemporary fiction, Lyn Yeowart’s The silent listener, from Penguin, is a compelling psychological thriller set in a country town, a dark ride with some special treats for word lovers.
A fiction lover but short of time? Already confronting a toppling TBR pile? Christine Balint’s Water music may be the perfect choice. Winner of the Seizure 2021 Viva La Novella prize, this is evocative historical fiction set in 18th-century Venice, in one of its prestigious orphanages for girls where musical talents were nurtured. It is now available from Brio Books.
And if short stories and microfiction — of a speculative bent — are your thing, there are two collections from Eugen Bacon: Danged black thing (Transit Lounge) and Speculate: a collection of microlit (Meerkat Press). Perfect dipper-inners to stimulate, provoke and excite.
For the young adults in your life — and other YA+ fans, of course — there are two novels from AJ Collins: Oleanders are poisonous and follow-up Magnolias don’t die. If you joined our Zoom cuppa with AJ earlier this year, you’ll know you’re in the hands of a skilled storyteller for these contemporary coming-of-age stories, where the joys of growing up are shadowed by trauma.
For kids, a couple of lovely offerings: Brenda Gurr’s The fabulous cakes of Zinnia Jakes is available from New Frontier Publishing — junior fiction for cake-lovers and junior masterchefs. Who doesn’t love cake? And for a children’s picture book, member Caroline Webber worked with her young sons to create The little green frog, available from Green Olive Press.
Two widely recognised EdVic members (and past committee members) have written about end-of-life issues. Find warmth and humour in personal tales from what can be a confronting time in Susan Pierotti’s Losing my parents: stories for dementia carers. Focusing on practical support, Jackey Coyle has authored the soon-to-be released In the end: a practical guide to dying.
Several titles will interest all our editing practitioners, teachers and students. Jocelyn Hargrave and Dr Renée Otmar are well known to IPEd members as expert trainers and speakers; for example, their recent appearances at EdVic Zoom meetings and IPEd’s conference.
Renée’s Editing for sensitivity, diversity and inclusion: a guide for professional editors is currently available as an ePub (having sold out its initial print run), and Jocelyn’s Teaching publishing and editorial practice: the transition from university to industry is a new release from Cambridge University Press. Brush up your proofreading with the tips and exercises from member Pam Collings in her Practical proofreading.
Keep an eye on our literary journals, too. Angie Faye Martin’s memoir In control is recommended, exploring her identity as an Aboriginal woman in the current (Spring) issue of Meanjin.
Finally, you may be interested in some of the publications produced by Victoria’s excellent editing courses. Some of our student members have contributed to these, as writers, editors and publishers. A great training ground and capstone achievement, these are always full of interesting reads and give a terrific snapshot of the emerging generation of editors and writers.
From RMIT comes the Rise anthology (Clover Press) and projects from Bowen Street Press; University of Melbourne has Intermissions (Grattan Street Press); and there’s Verandah from Deakin University and Verge from Monash University.
Did we miss you? Please let us know of your publications.
Find out more: fiction writers Eugen Bacon, Christine Balint and Lyn Yeowart will discuss their books at EdVic’s end of year event on 9 December: Celebrating EdVic’s writers.