Seven of Australia’s most popular female crime writers converged on the South Coast in August for a Sisters in Crime two-day writers festival on August 27 and 28. Candice Fox, Vikki Petraitis, Sulari Gentill, Fleur Ferris, Ilsa Evans, Professor Caroline de Costa, and Dorothy Johnston debated all matters crime before 100 people packed into the Cobargo Hall and a live-streamed global audience.
Debut books in the crime and mystery genre scooped all six awards in Sisters in Crime’s 22nd Davitt Awards on 27 August – Charlotte McConaghy’s Once there Were Wolves; Leanne Hall’s The Gaps; Nicki Greenberg’s The Detective’s Guide to Ocean Travel; Jacqueline Bublitz’s Before You Knew My Name (two awards); and Kate Holden’s, The Winter Road.
Thirty-three books on Sisters in Crime’s shortlist for its 22nd Davitt Awards for the best crime and mystery books! Not all that excessive given that 169 books have been in contention. The Davitts are riding the crest of an enormous wave of popularity for crime writing by Australian women. Women like writing it, the publishers like printing it, and we all love reading it.
An astonishing 169books are competing in Sisters in Crime’s 22nd Davitt Awards for the best crime and mystery books. Voting for the Readers’ Award Choice opens on Friday 10 June, closing Friday 24 July. Only financial members of Sisters in Crime are eligible to vote.
One of the silver linings of two terrible years of lockdowns has been Zoom which has allowed Sisters in Crime to feature authors from all over Australia and parts beyond. It has enabled us to reach a national and indeed global audience, and to hold AGMs such as this where all members can participate, irrespective of geographical location. Temporarily, at least, we have overcome the tyranny of distance.
Sisters in Crime celebrated its 30th birthday at the magnificent new Victorian Pride Centre in Fitzroy Street, St Kilda on Saturday (23 April). The building resounded with the voices of nearly a hundred Sisters in Crime and Brothers-in-Law belting out the chorus of “Sisters are writin’ it for themselves”.
Being back on Fitzroy Street, St Kilda, for Sisters in Crime’s 30th birthday party on 23 April, was a step back in time for the host, Sue Turnbull, Sisters in Crime’s Ambassador-at-Large. The story of her first event at Leo’s Spaghetti Bar induced much laughter.
Dig into the Bare Bones of True Crime with Karina Kilmore as she talks to five crime writers and investigators about their research and writing on video – a partnership between Sisters in Crime and Port Phillip Library Services,
The Crime Stack for March is this “beautifully textured, thoughtful and satisfying novel” set in Brisbane during World War II. Not everyone was a good guy. 20 copies up for grabs for members. Join by the end of the month and be in the running!
Find out what happens when crime leaves the mean streets of our big cities to stalk small-town Australia with Emma Viskic, Aoife Clifford, and Maryrose Cuskelly, who all have new books out,