Category: Behind the book

Moira Court’s stunning new picture book Antarctica helps pre-primary and early primary school readers discover some of the amazing animals and birds that exist on this chilly continent.

Steve Hawke’s first novel, The Valley, received such critical acclaim when it was first published in October last year that it’s now on its third print run.

Helen Milroy isn’t your average children’s author. Not only was she the first Aboriginal person in Australia to become a doctor, she’s also an illustrator, psychiatrist and university professor.

Como resident Rebecca Higgie won the inaugural Fogarty Literary Award for her manuscript The History of Mischief at a special ceremony at the ECU Spiegeltent on Wednesday 22 May 2019. Chosen from a field of 64 manuscripts by Western Australian writers aged 18 to 35, Higgie won a $20,000 cash prize from the Fogarty Foundation […]

Dr Antonio Buti is a professor of law at UWA and MLA for Armadale. His latest book, A Stolen Life: The Bruce Trevorrow Case, explores the story of the only member of the Stolen Generations to win compensation for his removal from his family.

I think it is important for fictional characters to live in real places, which is why I have set my stories in locations I have visited. Often an interesting-looking town – or island, in this case – can be the spark that inspires the whole story. The Cocos Islands, approximately 2,750 kilometres north-west of Perth, […]

Michael Burrows is an author and poet from Perth. Here, he reads from his first novel, Where the Line Breaks, and talks about how it was inspired by an Anzac Day experience in Gallipoli, the search for Australian war poetry and his love for Western Australia.

Fremantle Press author and new mum Fiona Burrows explains how she came up with the idea of her new picture book Violet and Nothing, and why it’s never too early to encourage children to be creative.

Fremantle Press author Kathryn Lefroy doesn’t just write about alpacas, she loves everything to do with them. Her new children’s book Alex and the Alpacas Save the World sees these adorable creatures take centrestage, and why not when they’re this cute to look at.

Dave Warner’s latest crime novel River of Salt comes complete with its own music, and you can listen to it right now.

Teach Australia’s colonial history through the eyes of a 12-year-old boy embroiled in one of the greatest criminal underworlds in the Gold Rush era. Or start a discussion around grief and loss in young people with a beautifully written literary novel.

Anne-Louise Willoughby is the author of Nora Heysen: A Portrait. She gave a presentation on Nora Heysen in Melbourne on Sunday 10 March as part of NGV Australia’s launch of its new major exhibition Hans and Nora Heysen Two Generations of Australian Art. 

It may be the Chinese Year of the Pig, but for debut author Kathryn Lefroy it is very much the year of the alpaca. Here she tells us about her debut children’s book Alex and the Alpacas Save the World, and what it’s like to come from a literary family.

Fremantle Press author Jon Doust has already seen huge success with his novel Boy on a Wire, which garnered a longlisting for the Miles Franklin Literary Award. Now he’s bringing this tale of bullying, mental health and coming of age to a different audience with a new YA edition of the book.

Ever felt like your writing project is taking a little too much time? Fremantle Press author Marcella Polain’s new novel, Driving into the Sun, was 10 years in the making. Here, she offers tips and advice to new and emerging writers about taking your time, maintaining momentum and what writer’s block is really all about.

Read an interview with City of Fremantle T.A.G Hungerford Award winner Holden Sheppard and an extract from his novel Invisible Boys.

Geraldton-born writer Holden Sheppard has won the 2018 City of Fremantle T.A.G. Hungerford Award for his manuscript Invisible Boys.

Dianne Wolfer has researched and written extensively about World War I and II. Here she explains what inspired her to write her Light trilogy and what she’ll be doing to mark the centenary of the end of World War I this year.

Read an interview with City of Fremantle T.A.G. Hungerford Award shortlisted writer Yuot Alaak and read an extract from his book Father of the Lost Boys.

Read an extract from Zoe Deleuil’s manuscript She Came to Stay and an interview with the author.

Meet Me at the Intersection contributor Olivia Muscat was 13 when she began to lose her sight. Here she talks about how the Harry Potter series defined a pivotal moment in her life, coming to terms with being different and ways in which teachers can work with difference and disability in the classroom.

We’re just one month away from the start of National Novel Writing Month (#NaNoWriMo) where thousands of emerging writers across the world take part in a challenge to write a 50,000 word novel between 1 and 30 November.

Read an interview with City of Fremantle T.A.G. Hungerford Award shortlisted writer Julie Sprigg plus an extract from her memoir, Chewing Porridge.

Hello, I’m James Foley, author of the hugely popular S.Tinker Inc. series of graphic novels for younger readers that includes Brobot, Dungzilla and my new book, Gastronauts.