Eileen: The Making of George Orwell by Sylvia Topp ‘Now that is the kind of girl I would like to marry!’ George Orwell told a friend excitedly, the night he met Eileen O’Shaughnessy. The Land in Winter by Andrew MillerHe was lying on a varnished wooden board, the top of a boxed in radiator.
Australia Will Be There
On 22 December 1914, just three days before Christmas, eight transports carrying soldiers from Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania sailed from Melbourne to join up with the rest of the second convoy of the Australian Imperial Force at Albany. For these men Christmas 1914 would be spent in the Great Australian Bight. The convoy, including … Continue reading Australia Will Be There
The O’Connors of Valencia Creek – All Creatures Great and Small
Like any farm, the O’Connor’s farm at Valencia Creek had a variety of animals. In their letters to the ‘Young Folks’ page of the Weekly Times between 1906 and 1914, the O’Connor children mention not only the farm animals but those living in the wild. And they also show the roles the children played in … Continue reading The O’Connors of Valencia Creek – All Creatures Great and Small
Too Far Standing Still by Lisette Brodey
Today I am absolutely delighted to be presenting Lisette Brodey's newly released novel, Too Far Standing Still - a psychological page-turner. Blurb How far would you go to realize your dreams? Tilly Henley was raised in a life of privilege. The daughter of prominent, wealthy New Yorkers, she wants for little. In her late twenties, … Continue reading Too Far Standing Still by Lisette Brodey
My Reading – November 2025
Four Letters of Love by Niall Williams When I was twelve years old God spoke to my father for the first time. Wifedom: Mrs Orwell's Invisible Life by Anna Funder I has been six months since the wedding. She uncaps the pen.
When Irish Eyes are Smiling
Lines from the chorus of When Irish Eyes are Smiling are a motif in And the Women Watch and Wait, occurring at several points through the novel. The song is a romanticised tribute to Ireland and was written by Chauncey Olcott, and George Graff Jr, with the music composed by Ernest R. Ball. Olcott was … Continue reading When Irish Eyes are Smiling
The Wearing of the Green
My latest novel And the Women Watch and Wait is set in Coburg, a northern suburb of Melbourne, during the Great War and its immediate aftermath. The characters are, mainly, from the Australian-Irish community and, as with my other novels, music plays a part in their lives. Over the next few months I’ll post some … Continue reading The Wearing of the Green
A Soliloquy by Lance Corporal William O’Brien (1882-1936)
William O’BrienThe Queenslander 3 Oct 1914 p.28 A bluish haze in the far asternAnd galloping seas between,The last-long look at one’s native land,Where boyhood days we’ve seen.For our bows are dipped in smothering spray,Our course to the setting sun.We’re bound for the front, with foot and horse,And a-clanking steel and gun. The transport reels in … Continue reading A Soliloquy by Lance Corporal William O’Brien (1882-1936)
My Reading – June to October 2025
This is not a lot to show for five months reading. My excuse is that I have done a lot of non-fiction re-reading, and even more writing, re-writing and editing. Will try to do better in the future. Time of the Child*by Niall Williams This is what happened in Faha over the Christmas of 1962, … Continue reading My Reading – June to October 2025
Excerpt ~ Outback Odyssey by Paul Rushworth-Brown
Today I’m delighted to be sharing an excerpt from Paul Rushworth-Brown’s novel, Outback Odyssey, as part of a blog tour hosted by The Coffee Pot Book Club. Blurb 1950s Australia. In the wake of war and dislocation, young Yorkshireman Jimmy journeys to the outback, chasing escape but finding something far more dangerous: the truth of … Continue reading Excerpt ~ Outback Odyssey by Paul Rushworth-Brown
Catherine Meyrick 