Close-knit communities are hotbeds for (fictional) crimes!

Friday 27 September was a public holiday for the ALF Grand Final in Victoria but discriminating women (and men) found themselves at South Melbourne’s Rising Sun Hotel listening to Kylie Kaden, Petronella McGovern and Felicity McLean talk to Karina Kilmore-Barrymore about how home and family can be a cauldron for crime, bringing with it abductions, …

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History Repeats: 2019 Historical Novel Society Australasia Conference

A major event celebrating writers and readers of historical fiction will be take place on 25-27 October 2019 at the historic Parramatta campus of Western Sydney University . The weekend of interviews, panels, discussions and historical weapons re-enactments will be a celebration of all forms of the genre. Historical crime writers, Janet Lee, Catherine Jinks, …

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Murder She Wrote: A Tasmanian literary festival inspired by Agatha Christie

The Terror Australis Readers and Writers Festival (TAF2019) is Tasmania’s newest biennial literary festival and the first writers’ festival in the Huon Valley. The festival’s theme, Murder She Wrote, is inspired by Agatha Christie, the Queen of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. Festival director, crime writer (and Sister in Crime member) Dr L.J.M. Owen, …

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Women crime writers clean up at the Ned Kelly awards

Breaking news from Jason Steger,  The Age Literary editor, re the Ned Kelly Awards presented by the Australian Crime Writers Association on Friday 6 September. Women writers have made a killing at the Ned Kelly crime-writing awards, taking out all three prizes for the first time. The Neds were presented on Friday as part of BAD: Sydney …

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Become a Partner in Crime for the 19th Davitt Awards

Sisters in Crime Australia is appealing to members and supporters to donate towards its 19th Davitt Awards for best crime books by Australian women.  (Click here to donate,) This year, a record 127 crime books are in contention for the awards, due to be presented at a gala dinner on Saturday 31 August, 6.30 for …

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Joanne Drayton: Award-winning biographer with a criminal bent

New Zealand-born Melbourne based author and reviewer, Lucy Sussex, turns her gaze back across the ditch to Joanne Drayton who is presenting Sisters in Crime’s 19th Davitt Awards on Saturday 31 August in Melbourne. (Click here to book.)  New Zealand writer Joanne Drayton is primarily a biographer, her interests ranging from art to true crime, …

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The power of the podcast – Rachael Brown

Rachael Brown was one of the crime writers who spoke at Hitlist on 3 July, the Wheeler Centre event about the current state of crime writing. Serial Davitt winner Emma Viskic compered the session which also included fellow Sister in Crime, Sulari Gentill, plus, Laura Elizabeth Woollett, Garry Disher, and Mark Brandi. I want to …

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Headshot Sulari Gentill

Hit list: Sulari Gentill on optimism

Melbourne’s Wheeler Centre presented a brilliant session on the current state of crime writing on 3 July. As the official notice said: “It’s no mystery that Australian crime writers are on some kind of a rampage – some kind of a spree– filling bookshops, racing up bestseller lists and taking over big and small screens …

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