As many of you will know, I have recently relocated to Western Australia (WA) after almost 21 years of living in the UK. I am originally from Victoria, on the other side of the country, so even though I am back “home”, as it were, I have never lived in WA before, so it is all very new and exciting — and a little bit strange.
For those who don’t know, WA is Australia’s biggest state — it makes up almost a third of the entire landmass, most of which is desert (or what you might call the Outback). The state’s population of around 2.6 million people (in 2014) live largely in the fertile south-west (home to the Margaret River wine region) and the capital city of Perth.
Until 2015, I had never stepped foot in WA. But when I did so, on an all-too-brief holiday, I immediately fell in love with the laidback lifestyle, the open spaces and the weather. I have returned for longer holidays several times since, and in June 2019 made the leap to move here permanently, choosing to settle in Fremantle, a historic port town just a 30-minute train journey south of Perth.
Living here for only a short time it strikes me how little I know about WA culture — its music, art, theatre and literature, in particular — because when you grow up on the south-east coast of the country it’s all very Melbourne and Sydney-centric. (Something I also noticed when I lived in Queensland for a few years in the mid-1990s.)
But what I have learned is that WA has a very strong literary tradition, with numerous successful writers, past and present, and a handful of independent presses, including Fremantle Press, the University of Western Australia Press and Margaret River Press, being based here.
I thought I would use my blog over the next few months to celebrate WA writers and review books written by the people who live here (or come from here). I’m regarding it as a bit of a journey of discovery and hope you might come along for the ride.
I’m not a complete ignoramus though. In the past, I have read many WA writers and I can see from my archives that I have already reviewed some, including (in alphabetical order by author’s surname):
Alan Carter
- Prime Cut (fiction, 2011)
Claire G. Coleman
- Terra Nullius (fiction, 2017)
Amanda Curtin
- Elemental (fiction, 2016)
Brooke Davis
- Lost & Found (fiction, 2014)
Robert Drewe
- The Shark Net (non-fiction, 2000)
Ron Elliott
- Spinner (fiction, 2010)
Elizabeth Jolley
- The Newspaper of Claremont Street (fiction, 1981)
- Mr Scobie’s Riddle (fiction, 1983)
- The Well (fiction, 1986)
Gail Jones
- Sixty Lights (fiction, 2004)
- Sorry (fiction, 2007)
- Five Bells (fiction, 2011)
- A Guide to Berlin (fiction, 2015)
Lynne Leonhardt
- Finding Jasper (fiction, 2012)
Joan London
- The Good Parents (fiction, 2008)
- The Golden Age (fiction, 2014)
Kim Scott
- True Country (fiction, 1993)
- Benang (fiction, 1999)
- That Deadman Dance (fiction, 2010)
- Taboo (fiction, 2017)
Craig Silvey
- Jasper Jones (fiction, 2009)
Randolph Stow
- To the Islands (fiction, 1958)
- The Merry-Go-Round in the Sea (fiction, 1965)
David Whish-Wilson
- Line of Sight (fiction, 2010)
Tim Winton
- The Riders (fiction, 1994)
- Dirt Music (fiction, 2001)
- Breath (fiction, 2008)
- Eyrie (fiction, 2013)
- Island Home (non-fiction, 2015)
- The Shepherd’s Hut (fiction, 2018)
My TBR includes novels by Josephine Wilson, Geraldine Wooller, Annabel Smith, Michelle Johnston, Marcella Polain, Madelaine Dickie, Steve Hawke and Dave Warner — just to name a few!
Have you read any of these books? Can you recommend a good read by a WA author?
Reading Matters 
Little Stones by Elizabeth Kuiper – she’s a Zimbabwean author but relocated to WA
LikeLiked by 1 person
Are you sure? I know, people move all the time, and the whole concept of being from any particular place is fluid, but her website says she’s now based in Melbourne, and studying at uni here.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes she’s studying in Melbourne at the moment, but having grown up in WA I still thought that’d count her as a WA author
LikeLiked by 1 person
LOL it’s tricky isn’t it?!
LikeLiked by 1 person
This like the MJ Hyland debate all over again… is she Irish? Or Australian? Or a Mancunian?:-)
LikeLike
It’s all very messy these days, just the way I like it really.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s bad enough when I meet new people here and they ask where I am from…
LikeLike
Well, first, I have a publisher to add to your list, and a very special publisher at that. Magabala Books are based in Broome, and they are an award-winning not-for-profit Indigenous outfit, publishing everything from children’s books to a to novels and NF. I discovered them when I was teaching through their gorgeous picture books illustrated by indigenous artists, but they also publish some crime novels by Indigenous authors which should appeal to you! See https://www.magabala.com/ and have a look in the kids section of your local library to see what I mean. You will be buying their books as presents for nieces and nephews in no time:)
For someone new to the west, you put many local reviewers to shame, I reckon you’ve covered many of them already! However, here’s some you may not know of: Martin Edmond (Isinglass); Alice Nelson (The Children’s House), The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf by Ambelin Kwaymullina (Indigenous) and We Are Not Most People, by Tracy Ryan.
If I could have a say in what you read next from your TBR, it would be Dustfall by Michelle Johnston. I’d love to know what you think of it.
You can find all these on my blog via this category:
https://anzlitlovers.com/category/origin-of-author/australian-authors/western-australian-authors/
Oh yes, and check out a lovely collection of stories from Fremantle Press by TAG Hungerford (a WA LitAward bears his name) about postwar Perth. Bill has a collection of his stories too, which he might lend to you:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah, I knew you’d be a wealth of information on this topic, Lisa. Thanks for reminding me about Magabala Books — I recall you mentioning them before. Thanks, too, for all those author names, none of which are familiar to me. I am surprised about how many writers there are here given the small population. And funny you should mention TAG Hungerford because I almost bought a lovely looking hardcover by him called ‘Stories from Suburban Road’ — is that the one you meant?
LikeLike
Yes, that’s the one. It made me want to get on a plane and go exploring (even though it was written so long ago) so I’m sure you’ll love it too. The one that Bill lent me by TAGH is called Wong Chu and the Letterbox. He must be on the road tonight, or he’d be commenting here himself.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know absolutely nothing about this part of the world – looking very much forward to your guided tour!
LikeLike
Glad to have you on board… 🙂
LikeLike
I started your post thinking I’d know nothing about Western Australian writing given how few Australian novels seem to get published in the UK then three names leapt out at me – Gail Jones, Joan London and Tim Winton. Strong literary tradition, indeed! enjoy your literary exploration, Kim.
LikeLike
Ah, yes, Gail Jones, Joan London and Tim Winton are literary superstars both here and abroad. I know that Alan Carter is published in the UK (he’s originally from Sunderland), ditto for Stow (he emigrated to the UK and died there a few years back) and Kim Scott’s Deadman Dance is a Bloomsbury title. I believe his latest one, Taboo, is out next month.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think you’d like Whisky Charlie Foxtrot by Annabel Smith. Also Terra Nullius by Claire G Coleman if you haven’t read that. I also have a couple of Dawn Barker’s books on my shelves and I enjoyed All That is Lost Between Us by Sara Foster. Looking forward to hearing about your reading journey.
LikeLike
Whisky Charlie Foxtrot is the one I have in my TBR. And thanks for the reminder about Claire G Colman; I’d forgotten she was from WA. I will add her to this list as I have reviewed Terra Nullius.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A great project only read a couple of the writers I like the Ned Kelly Drewe book years ago
LikeLike
Ah, yes, that one has been in my TBR for YEARS!
LikeLike
Bill is indeed on the road, in Port Augusta SA tonight and should be home for the weekend, happy to meet you down the pub with an armload of books. I do my best to read WA but you are way ahead of me. You know my favourite – Rubik. The biggest name not on your list is John Kinsella and I’d also mention Mudrooroo. Mary Durack adds colour. Rabbit Proof Fence is important, and I also have the memoir of a Western Desert woman, Lizzie Marrkilyi Ellis.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for all the suggestions, Bill. I’m planning a foray to the library later so will see what I can find.. I know they have “Rubik” on the shelves. mind you, I have so many books here waiting to be read that I really don’t need any more!
LikeLike
Sounds like a great plan Kim! I’m looking forward to your posts.
LikeLike
Be great to have you along for the ride…
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a good idea for a post. I have to admit to having read books by only a few Australian writers and no Western Australians at all! I will make note of some of these books.
LikeLike
Hopefully this little project of mine will change that! I will try to flag up availability in UK/US because not all the titles I read will be published in those markets.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great!
LikeLike
Elemental has been sitting on my TBR pile since I bought it after your review many years ago. I finally got round to reading it a few weeks ago and, goodness me, what a wonderful read it was! I have Joan London and Gail Jones on my shelves along with the latest Tim Winton (having read all his others) so I’m really looking forward to joining you on this new reading journey,
LikeLike
So pleased you read Elemental! Amanda Curtin is one of the first people I met when I landed in WA a few months ago… she’s really lovely and very active in the literary circles here.
LikeLike
I’ve read titles by several of the names on your list (Alan Carter, Elizabeth Jolley, Claire Coleman, Amanda Curtin) solely because of your blog, Kim. So, I’m excited to see what other authors you discover and, in turn, bring to my attention.
LikeLike
Oh, that’s great to know, Christina. This is a very isolated part of the world but I’m surprised by how many writers there are here and how many of them have actually achieved worldwide success. I’m hoping this little project might help me discover some new-to-me authors and, in turn, introduce them to my blog’s international audience.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Two other authors to add are Annabel Smith (many books including Whisky Charlie Foxtrot) and Louise Allen (Sister song).
You have inspired me to do an ACT Region page, but oh dear, the definitions – what is the region, and then do I do writers who lived here for a few years but weren’t born here and not longer live here (like Sara Dowse and Dorothy Johnston). I’m not sure I’m up for it, on reconsideration!
BTW I totally, totally understand your falling in love with Perth. If I had my choice of places to live in Australia that would be it. But, with all my family and friends in the east, including elderly parents here and grandchild in Melbourne, I guess I’m not prepared to leave them behind. I will just enjoy your posts vicariously. And we are planning another foray there, though exactly when, I don’t know.
LikeLike
Yes, I have Annabel Smith on my Kindle. I follow Louise on Twitter but have never seen her books to buy anywhere but now I’m on the right side of the planet (!!) that should no longer be a problem.
I can imagine that creating an ACT list would be problematic… it’s such a small territory. I would struggle to name any writer (unless they were a politician) from that part of the world!
And yes, it’s hard not to fall in love with Perth. I was speaking to a real estate agent the other day and he told me to be careful of the “WA disease”. I asked him what that was. He said “once you move here you never leave”. He cane from the UK 15 years ago on a holiday 😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Marion Halligan is the best known Canberra writer, but we have any others, actually. I will tag them We have a lot of poets, past and present. AD Hope lived here.
LikeLiked by 1 person