Canberra authors and their books to gift (including to yourself) this Christmas
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There’s something incredibly special about being gifted a novel written by a fellow Canberran.
It’s almost as though our connection to place transcends beyond the page, and we find ourselves reading their work with a mix of joy, pride, and the occasional reflection about whether a specific character or scene reflects the region in some way.
It also helps that in the vast and unyielding world of literature, Canberra authors continue to hold their own. So, if you are looking for a starting point, this list has everything you need to know. Here’s to long summer days getting lost in the magic of local literature. Heaven!
Gemma Carey: No Matter Our Wreckage
A powerful and tender read that will sit with you long after you have finished it. Confronting the moving parts of trauma, grief, love, and intergenerational trauma head-on, Gemma has a way of holding your hand with her words—taking you on a journey that will make you laugh, cry and feel every emotion that lives in between. She is truly a master of her craft.
Abra Pressler: More
Abra is one to watch in the local author scene, whose work continues to take us into her creative and captivating world—and her recent novel More is (of course) no exception. An intimate and poignant read that not only beautifully captures Canberra but the push and pull of falling in love for the first time. Yes, you will be tempted to read it in one sitting.
Nigel Featherstone: My Heart is the Wild Little Thing
My Heart is the Wild Little Thing is a nod to what makes Nigel such a trailblazing local author. His rhythmic prose and unflinching ability to paint the human experience is done so with effortless lyrical ease. Your Christmas reading list just got a level-up.
Chris Hammer: The Tilt
Any Chris Hammer book could be plucked off the shelf and leave you an infinite life lesson, nail-biting questions and prose that makes its way into your worldview like a moving stream of ideas and questions. The Tilt is his latest work and just as engaging as the rest—the perfect gift for a lover of all things crime.
Emma Batchelor: Now That I See You
Ugh, Emma is just brilliant. Not only is she the winner of the prestigious Vogel Literary Award, but she unfurls the changing dynamic of her relationship with such poise, warmth and literality richness. Proof that sometimes writing can be just as healing as reading.
Zoya Patel: No Country Woman—A Memoir of Not Belonging
In her powerful feminist memoir, No Country Woman: A Memoir of Not Belonging, Zoya’s paucity of prose makes for insightful reflections that interweave with heartbreaks and hope that is nothing short of empowering. A refreshing, captivating read.
What We Carry: Various CBR authors
What better than one Canberra author? Multiple. Uniting 60 contemporary Australian poets on motherhood, childbearing and relationships, including Canberra voices, What We Carry is a sharply observed read that dares to walk in the face of discomfort. Touching, moving and quote frankly breathtaking—the perfect gift for any time of year.
Omar Musa: Killernova
Queanbeyan local Omar Musa’s raw, fiery and technically masterful poems are hard to put down. In his latest body of work, Killernova, Omar communicates his thoughts on a variety of significant issues, from bushfires to COVID-19, the colonial history of South-East Asia and the future of our planet. Offering comfort, humour and wisdom when we so often find shock.
Shelley Burr: WAKE
In this gripping outback noir, Shelley unpacks the brutality that can live within rural Australian towns and the mysteries that so often coincide. An incredible debut from this talented Canberra writer who takes us on a thought-provoking journey that we never quite want to leave. Unless, of course, it’s for tea or Christmas desserts. Enjoy!
