I dunno, but sometimes I reckon us Australians are just a wee bit too insecure about our doings. There’s been much debate around the traps about whether oz genre stuff now is as good as it used to be, or world beating, or in a crisis, or something. Sonya Hartnett (bless her) reckons it’s all crap (except her). I reckon she’s bloody good and so are other Oz writers (sticking to children’s/YA writers). But I also reckon they’d be fine writers were they born somewhere else (providing they got the same opportunities). Obviously, they wouldn’t be the same writers, but they’d still be excellent.
Hmm, dunno what I’m trying to say here. Go read a really good book, like, Peeps for example, which was written by an honorary Aussie (he’s a permanent resident and does a truly excellent Adam Gilchrist impersonation) . . . it being Peeps week and all.
Update: David Moles makes mock of me and my people.
That conversation seems to be making the global rounds. Doesn’t surprise me that Australians are hashing it out also.
By the way, I finished Magic or Madness the other day, and I enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to picking up the sequel. Peeps too!
Wow! You mean everyone in the world is worried about whether Australian writing is any good or not? I didn’t know they cared.
So pleased you enjoyed Magic or Madness!
Two authors: Melina Marchetta and Garth Nix. Oz teenlit not encompasing great stuff? Nonsense.
As I’ve said elsewhere I think Australian fiction (both youth and adult) is particularly strong at present so I don’t really know what Hartnett was attempting to say. There is the chance, of course, that she wasn’t quoted correctly. If you have a contact for her maybe you could write her and ask. I’m sure a number of readers here would like to know if she was reported correctly.