Dispatch #007
Prize-winning manuscripts, opening night at the theatre for the mighty Stella Miles Franklin, new books we're excited about, and so much more.
Book Launch: We had an absolutely fabulous time at the launch of Helen Pitt’s new biography of Luna Park, and look at this (above): one of the teeth turned up. Apparently, they keep spares! Andrew Hornery captured the moment. Helen was in conversation with the great Kate McClymont, and the audience just loved it. Well done, everyone. We have plenty of copies of the book in store.
Prize News: Warmest congratulations this evening to a journalist and soon-to-be novelist, Miki Perkins, who has won the inaugural Fearless Prize.
Miki’s work, New Growth, is described as “an unconventional, queer coming of age story.” We love the premise: it tells the story of a woman in her sixties, Jude, whose life has been defined by caring for others as a mother, a social worker, and a caregiver for her husband with dementia. She assumes that joy and desire aren’t part of her story anymore. But she’s wrong. In the most delicious way, she’s wrong!
Miki receives a $10,000 advance from the prize sponsors, Bakers Lane, who will publish the novel in March 2027.
The Fearless Prize is a new prize established by Bakers Lane Press, which is a new press, founded by Ginny Grant, after a 20 year career in trade publishing. Bakers Lane published its first novel, The One Remaining, just last year. Warmest congratulations to everyone.
Book Lust: We all know that real, printed books are making a comeback with the young and hip. The trend has been propelled by BookTok and Bookstagram - and because everyone wants to do less doom-scrolling and more reading.
Now Coach - maker of delicious little handbags - has jumped into the zeitgeist, releasing a series of glorious bag charms shaped like books, that can actually be read. Take all our money, Coach. They have done some modern classics, including Maya Angelou’s I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings but we’d love to see some Australian titles. Hopefully coming soon.
Theatre Adaptations: Stella Miles Franklin was an extraordinary woman. Way back in the 1900s, she took a stand against the idea that Australian women shouldn’t work, and her novel about a spirited woman who felt the same has become a classic.
The Sydney Theatre Company’s stage adaptation of My Brilliant Career opens on 25 March at the Roslyn Packer Theatre. It’s directed by Anne-Louise Sarks. If you can get a ticket, grab one. The reviews say it’s a feminist triumph.
Fellowships: Expressions of interest: The Judy Harris Writer-in-Residence Fellowship at the Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, is now open for applications. It provides a $100,000 grant to an established writer to work on a project related to the issues the Charles Perkins Centre is dedicated to solving, including health, wellbeing, food, ageing, social disadvantage, and cultural identity.
Previous fellows include Charlotte Wood, Mireille Juchau, Alana Valentine, Emily Maguire, Tracy Sorensen, Sarah Holland-Batt, Lech Blaine, Fiona Wright and Luke Carman. Applications must be in by 11:59 pm on Sunday, 12 April 2026.
This year’s recipient of the $20,000 Hazel Rowley Literary Fellowship is journalist and academic Jennifer Martin, for a biography of journalist Eva Sommer, who in 1956 at the age of 22 won Australia’s first national prize for journalism, a Walkley Award.
This year, the judges also awarded three Highly Commended entries:
Monique Rooney, for a biography of writer Ruth Park
Theodore Ell, for a biography of the poet Les Murray
Ashleigh Wilson, for a biography of Barry Humphries
The judges said they loved Jennifer’s “fluid writing style, which brings Eva’s remarkable story to life … it was a joy to read her proposal.”
This is the final Hazel Rowley Literary Fellowship. It’s given so many writers a wonderful start to their projects, and we’re all sad to see it go.
Imagine dinner under the stars, in the vast and glorious Outback. The Kimberley Writers Festival offers this, and so much more. It is easily one of the nation’s most beautiful literary events, based around Kununurra.
This year’s event will be held from July 31st to 2nd August. Guests include:
Debra Oswald: novelist, screenwriter, playwright, creator of the TV series Offspring.
Claire Coleman: Noongar woman and award-winning author of fiction and non-fiction books.
Richard Glover: a radio presenter for 26 years and a bestselling author.
Jack Heath: author of popular YA, first published in 2006.
Karen Herbert: crime writer with a master's in psychology.
Tricia Stringer: bestseller of eight romance fiction titles.
If you’ve ever thought about going up there, maybe make this the year. You won’t regret it. The small festivals are often the best. Great talks, a relaxed atmosphere, and not too much rancour!
Now, to our own events:
Bondi Literary Salon, Wednesday 25th of March: Voss by Patrick White, hosted by Steven Reynolds at Gertrude & Alice Cafe Bookstore. Click here for tickets.
Steve Toltz Book Launch, Thursday 26th of March: Celebrate the launch of Steve Toltz’s new novel A Rising of The Lights, in conversation with Caroline Overington at the Bondi Pavilion. Gertrude & Alice are the official booksellers. Click here for tickets.
Natasha Lester, Monday, 30th of March: celebrate the release of her new novel, The Chateau on Sunset, at Woollahra Library at Double Bay. Gertrude & Alice are the official booksellers. Click here for tickets.
Toppling Towers of Power by Jo Cooper: the story behind the long battle to allow Australian tenants to keep pets in their apartments.
Where The Light Gets In by Ben Crowe: one of the world's most in-demand mindset coaches on how to change your perspective.
You With The Sad Eyes by Christina Applegate: the actor famous for her role in the sitcom Married... with Children tells her story.
A Far-Flung Life by M.L. Stedman: the new novel from the author of the bestselling The Light Between Oceans.
And that’s all for today, folks! Thank you for reading, and please do send our newsletter to your friends so we can build our community here.
Have something you’d like to include? Our newsletter is compiled by a Bondi local, Caroline Overington. You can follow her on Instagram or Facebook and get in touch here if you’ve got news to share.
Look forward to this newsletter each week, I live in Newcastle and just wish there were some day events at Gertrude and Alice to attend …
How else would we get to know such interesting and newsworthy items. 👍👌