Sisters in Crime’s 24th Davitt Awards winners announced: Debut books triumph
Debut books triumphed at Sisters in Crime’s 24th Davitt Awards for best women’s crime and mystery books on Saturday night (31 August). Four of the six winning crime and mystery books were first-time forays into the genre: Monica Vuu (Sandfly, Tas) for Best Adult Novel for When One of Us Hurts (Pan Macmillan Australia); Amy…
Red Herrings
Catch up with the latest crime events from around the nation. So many authors, so many books, so many festivals and so much talent – and so much reading pleasure ahead. It’s wonderful to see so many Sisters in Crime authors featured at the BAD Sydney Crime Writing 2024 Festival, Thursday 12 September-Sunday 14 September:
Murder Monday: Jane Sullivan
For the September Murder Monday, Sisters in Crime’s Jacq Ellem spoke to Jane Sullivan, crime author, and the literary columnist for Nine Newspapers. She has been a judge for Sisters in Crime’s Davitt Awards several times. Jane is the author of three novels, Little People, The White Star, and Murder in Punch Lane, her first crime novel, plus a memoir, Storytime. Murder in Punch Lane is set in Melbourne in 1868, and inspired by real events and people.
Nightmare Noir: Gold Coast Literary Dinner
Features three talented Queensland authors – Nicole Norris, Nicole Maddigan, and Tess Merlin – who take a deep dive into the real-life nightmares that inspired their blockbuster releases with Megan Norris, the Qld Sisters in Crime convenor and true crime author.
Sisters in Crime – Brisbane Literary Dinner
A night of crime conversation, drinks, and delicious food, and the chance to meet and mingle with fellow crime readers and writers in Brisbane. Author Kylie Kaden will interview bestselling novelist Petronella McGovern, and debut authors Lisa Kenway and Martine Kropkowski.
Stiletto Bites: hours (and hours) of listening pleasure
To mark the 30th anniversary of the Scarlet Stiletto Awards for best short stories in 2023, Sisters in Crime, Susanna Lobez, actor-turned-barrister-turned-broadcaster-turned-true-crime-author, has been progressively narrating the winning stories in a podcast – Scarlet Stiletto Bites: Scintillating stories by Australian women. Find out how to listen here.
TV Noir: from Scandi ice to Outback heat
The global popularity of the Nordic Noir has transformed the production of television crime dramas in Australia. In Transnational TV Crime: From Scandinavia to the Outback, Sue Turnbull and Marion McCutcheon explain how. They’ll be canvassing all the issues with Fiona Eagger, co-founder of Every Cloud Productions, and we will all get to watch snippets of some of our favourite programs.
Claire Sutherland, The Crag
For the September Crime Stack, Affirm Press has kindly offered 20 copies of The Crag, by Claire Sutherland, award-winning journalist, former Herald Sun Book editor, and keen climber. It’s literally a cliff-hanger. While walking on an isolated track in the windswept Wimmera, rock-climber and ambo Skye discovers the body of a young woman. The body has injuries that suggest a rock-climbing accident, but it’s been found more than 5km from the nearest cliffs at Mount Arapiles. Police ask Skye to help them navigate the perilous world of rock climbing as they try to unravel what happened.
Author Spotlight – Finding a voice
For the September Author Spotlight, Narrelle M. Harris spoke to Netherlands-based author, Brooke Hardwick, about her debut novel, The Fog (Simon & Schuster). Brooke hails from North Queensland but it was her time in her twenties on Rathlin , a tiny island between Northern Ireland and Scotland, that inspired her novel. It’s often engulfed in fog!
Why Self-Publish? Bronwyn Rodden
Why self-publish? Despite some literary success, Bronwyn Rodden has self-published her work, including her three Blue Mountains mysteries, inspired by many visits and her time living in Katoomba.
She outlines the various experiences (including knockbacks) that led her down this path.
New Reviews
Every month Sisters in Crime brings you new reviews from women who write criminally good books.