Emma Batchelor: What I’m reading, writing and listening to in October

Posted on 25 October, 2022

Welcome to a monthly update for readers, writers and literary lovers.

Expect a celebration of local Canberra talent, plenty of reading recommendations, and a roundup of events and opportunities.

Read

Like many people, the first book I read by literary cool girl Ottessa Moshfegh was My Year of Rest and Relaxation. I found the story to be unsettling yet compelling and the imagery the last page evoked for me still sticks in my mind. I was interested in Moshfegh’s latest offering Lapvona but after reading this brilliant conversation between Moshfegh and writer Andrea Long Chu I realised I wasn’t in the right mood for a depraved tale set in a medieval village so opted instead to read the author’s 2021 novel, Death in Her Hands. Moshfegh’s take on a whodunnit subverts the genre with her signature sinister vibes.

Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh | Published July 2021 Penguin

Reading

Nina Stibbe is a master of comic writing and I love all of her work. Her non-fiction book Love, Nina, a collection of letters written to her sister during the 80’s while Nina was working as a nanny in literary Camden, was important to me when I was working on my own novel. One day I shall astonish the world is about friendship, work and figuring out if you have lived the right kind of life. It’s lovely.

One day I shall astonish the world by Nina Stibbe | Published August 2022 Penguin

About to read

I am very excited to be in conversation with Shane Janek AKA Courtney Act about their memoir Caught in the Act at the Street Theatre on Tuesday 1 November. I am looking forward to talking with Courtney about gender, sexuality and identity and the process of capturing it all in writing. It’s a free event and you can register for a seat here.

Caught in the Act by Shane Janek AKA Courtney Act | Published November 2021 Panterra Press

Local Love

The 2021 ACT book of the year was recently announced at the Civic Library. The books recognised this year include:

• Winner: Spinoza’s Overcoat by Subhash Jaireth
• Highly Commended: Oil Under Troubled Water by Bernard Collaery
• Highly Commended: Doggerland by Moya Pacey
• Shortlisted: Utterly by Dr PS Cottier
• Shortlisted: Nigh by Dr Penelope Layland
• Shortlisted: The Trials of Portnoy by Dr Patrick Mullins

All of these books are available to borrow from Libraries ACT.

Quick Fire Recommendations

• “A Sicko Producer’s Dream.” On the Infectious Textures of Britney Spears’s Shifting Voice. In this essay Natasha Lasky explores the criticism and dismissal of the pop star’s many registers
• A Brief History of (My) Dark Academia is an experimental essay by Adrienne Raphel that unpicks why “Dark academia is academia’s black swan and shadow self.”
• Just Like Us is a podcast series looking at the 2000’s tabloid that changed America. Covering celebrity culture and its broader impact, this is a fascinating eight episode listen. It’s also part of the Ringer Dish podcast feed which is filled with other pop culture gems.

Events, workshops and opportunities

• Entries for the 2022 ACT Book of the Year are now open. The award recognises excellence in literature and is valued at $10,000 for the winner, $2,000 for any highly commended book and $1,000 for each shortlisted book. The Award aims to support the development of ACT-based writers, promotes writing in the ACT, and contributes to a positive writing culture for the ACT. The ACT Book of the Year Award is for fiction, non-fiction and poetry books written by authors who reside in the ACT, or can specifically and strongly demonstrate an ACT-based arts practice.

Entries close Monday 31 October 2022 | Enter Here

• Local author Chris Hammer will be in conversation on his new book The Tilt with his friend journalist Michael Brissenden. TheTilt is the latest thriller from the best-selling author and sees the return of two key characters from his previous novel Treasure & Dirt.

6 pm-7 pm Tuesday 8th November 2022. This is a free in person event | Register Here

• Dr Kate Warren will be presenting her 2022 National Library Fellowship research as a free online lunchtime lecture. Dr Warren has been examining mid-century Australian magazines and their engagement with the visual arts.

12.30 pm – 1.30 pm Thursday 10 November 2022. This is a free online event | Find out more