crime writing

Festival fun ahead

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I’m very much looking forward to the Port Fairy Literary Weekend on 12-14 September. It’s a great program, and a gorgeous town.

My great-great grandfather William Mott was a whaler there – I could claim the adorable National Trust property Mott’s Cottage as my family home. I always go poke around in it when I’m in town. (We always thought it was his cottage but it turns out the family actually owned it in the early 20th century, when he was long gone.)

Image of Mott's Cottage - cute brown cottage
National Trust image of Mott’s Cottage

But back to the present day – my co-author Sharmini Kumar and I are on a panel with Lyn Yeowart and Belinda Lyons-Lee, chatting with my old mate Kate Mildenhall about writing mysteries, 5.30, Saturday 13 September. Program and tickets here.

Panel with Kelly & Sharmini, 5.30pm. Saturday 13 September, Blarney Books

On Friday 19 September, Sharmini and I are speaking with students in the Professional Writing and Editing course at RMIT – Author Conversations is a free program the students curate and everyone is welcome. The fabulous Lili Wilkinson is on the same day – double bill of authory fun (actually it’s a triple bill).

Image advertising author conversations - Lili, Sharmini and Kelly are all on 19 September at 27 Cardigan St, Carlton, 2-4.15pm

It’s also Writers on Campus on my own campus on 23 September, where I’m hosting a session on Writing Sport, with experienced sports journalist Merryn Sherwood and Pam Kappelides, an expert in sports management and policy, including writing about sport for communities. There’s no better time than Grand Final week in Melbourne to talk about it. So if you’re interested in how we write about sport from a range of angles, come along to the library on Bundoora campus of La Trobe University. All welcome. Free but book here.

On the evening of 25 September, I’m interviewing Vikki Petraitis about her fabulous new book, The Stolen, for a Sisters in Crime event at Darebin Libraries. It’s free, but you can book here.

And after all THAT, Sharmini and I are heading to the US for a huge Jane Austen convention, the Jane Austen Society of North America annual general meeting in October, in Baltimore, Maryland. But more on that later.

Hope to see you out there!

The Regency Roadshow: part three

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Things have calmed down a little, as Sharmini and I are in Hobart, working on Miss Bingley’s further adventures. We are grateful to the Salamanca Arts Centre for hosting us in the gorgeous cottage set aside for artist residencies, and we’ve been working hard, and plotting even harder. It’s the perfect place to think Regency, surrounded by Georgian buildings and exploring museum collections of the era. But more of that another time.

It’s not all long days bent over the desk. We’re appearing at Dymock’s Hobart on 11 June at 6pm, to talk about Miss Bingley, crime in the Regency era, and writing historical fiction. It’d be lovely to see some Tasmanian crime and/or historical novel readers there. Details and bookings here.

After we return to Melbourne, Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Investigator will be published in North America – on July 6.

Then the events in Australia continue with an afternoon tea at Antipodes Books in Sorrento on 30 July. Bookings are essential for this one, and we anticipate delicious morsels! Find out more and book here.

After that, we have writers’ festivals and events lined up – I’ll let you know as they arise, but in the meantime, book ahead for the Historical Novel Society of Australasia’s History Unbound festival in Parramatta in November. Sharmini, Alison Goodman, and I will all be on a panel together, hosted by the magnificent Pamela Hart. Now, THAT’S Regency.

And if you haven’t seen it, here’s the stunning US cover.

Book cover Miss Caroline Bingley Private Investigator

Lately I’ve been…

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Getting excited!

Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective is about to descend upon us, and we are in a slight whirl of event bookings, launch fever, and pre-publication nerves.

It’s an exciting time, but listen up, emerging authors: nobody tells you how nerve-wracking it is to have your book released, so I’m warning you now. And it doesn’t diminish with age or repetition. Well, maybe a little. For your first book, you think your world is about to change, and it kinda does, but then it settles down again. Unless you’re Helen Garner or Sally Rooney.

Anyway, I’m off again, like an old steeplechaser out of the gate, but this time alongside my co-author, Sharmini Kumar, for whom this is a first novel so she gets to have all the thrills, and I get to enjoy it.

I’ll post our upcoming events as I have details, but here are a few:

The Melbourne launch is on 3 April at Readings State Library but it’s well and truly booked out, so you can relax about that.

The night after, we’re on a panel at Sisters in Crime, with the lovely Alison Goodman, whose latest Regency rip-roarer is The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin. 8pm, 4 April, Rising Sun Hotel South Melbourne. Bookings here.

On 7 April, we’re in Sydney for a launch event at Better Read Than Dead in Newtown, in conversation with the darling Pamela Hart. 6.30 pm: details and bookings here.

On 16 April, we’ll be at Collins Booksellers in Moonee Ponds, in conversation about all things Austen and crime. Bookings here.

On 30 April, we’ll be in Geelong for the legendary Books in Bars session at the Waurn Ponds Hotel with Dymocks Geelong. Details and bookings here.

I’ll post more Miss B events here very soon.

In the meantime, I’ve just emerged from running my first writers’ retreat at the gorgeous Continental House in Hepburn Springs. I mean, I go on retreats all the time, as regular readers know, and find them incredibly productive. But this was different – 13 writers and me, lots of teaching and writing and eating excellent food, in a lovely 1920s guesthouse. It was a huge amount of fun (and work, but I don’t mind that), and I look forward to many more. Now I’m planning future retreats and some new courses and masterclasses for after Miss Bingley comes out. Writers, watch this space.

Last week, it was my great honour to launch Marion Taffe’s debut novel, By Her Hand – a historical novel set in Mercia in the early tenth century that I highly recommend.

On 3 May, I’m launching another debut novel by a local author, The Butterfly Women by Madeleine Cleary. It’s set in the heart of Little Lon, and that’s where the event’s being held. Details and bookings here.

No rest for the wicked.

(Which reminds me, I LOVED Wicked. I’d just seen the new Melbourne production, which I think was even better than the first, with two incredible leads, so wasn’t expecting the film version to blow my mind. But it did, or at least it’s really grown on me.)

Oh, and in case you hadn’t heard …

Miss Bingley adores compliments

/ Kelly Gardiner / 2 Comments

It’s not long now until Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective descends upon an unsuspecting world. I’ll post soon about launches and events in April and May (that’s when the book is out in Australia, New Zealand and the UK, although of course you can pre-order now). US readers will have to wait until July (sorry!).

In the meantime, we’ve received some lovely praise for the book. Here’s a sample:

‘Loved this adventure in Austen’s world, with Caroline Bingley taking centre stage and proving what we knew all along; that there was much more to her character than met the eye! Wonderful scene setting and addictively pacey, this book will delight Jane Austen and Agatha Christie fans alike. Queen of the one-line put-downs, Miss Bingley makes the most brilliant sleuth – proving that detective work is right up there with watercolours and dancing as the height of ladylike accomplishments!’ – Fliss Chester, author of the Cressida Fawcett Mysteries

‘Utterly delightful! Miss Caroline Bingley is revealed as a perfectly imperfect heroine in this charming Austen-inspired escapade. Beyond its entertaining surface and mannered Regency dialogue also lies a shrewd critique of British imperial rule and a resounding message of female empowerment. As Miss Bingley would say, no hand wringing allowed!’ – Kyra Geddes, author of The Story Thief

‘I can only assume that Jane Austen would be delighted to read of Miss Bingley’s exploits.  An elegant and utterly accomplished mystery’ – Sulari Gentill, bestselling author of The Woman in the Library and The Mystery Writer

Thanks to the many authors who’ve supported Sharmini and me in the lead-up to launch with blurbs, encouragement and hugs.

Book cover of Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective

Classes & retreats coming up

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I love teaching, and especially love teaching writers. My first full-day masterclass, on How to build a heroine, happened last month and it seemed to go pretty well. I have a few more in the pipeline, and big plans for next year.

All the details are on my New Page Writing website.

Coming up soon are:

Next year I’ll also run masterclasses on historical fiction, Scrivener, writing YA, and a new weekend writing retreat on creative practice and creativity (and relaxation!).

So that’s all keeping me out of mischief.

Although I do like mischief…

Graphic with text: Turbocharge your novel. Writing retreat: a luxurious weekend focused on fiction March 2025

Coming up!

/ Kelly Gardiner / Leave a comment

It’s nearly spring here in Melbourne/Naarm and to be honest after a few bone-chilling weeks it feels warmer already – the jonquils are out!

Have I been hibernating? No, I have not. Well, maybe a little, but there’s lots on in the next few weeks so I’m madly preparing now for…

Bendigo Writer’s Festival – a delight every year, and this year I’m chairing a panel on writing collaboratively with Thomas Mayo & Kerry O’Brien (The Voice to Parliament Handbook), Bruce Pascoe & Lyn Harwood (Black Duck), and Tarryn Phillips & Edward Narain (Sugar). It’s on 9.30am on Sunday 18 August: details and bookings here.

Then a couple of days later, I’m launching the wonderful new novel Grace and Marigold, by Mira Robertson, at Readings Carlton. It’s a terrific coming-of-age story of a young Australian woman, Grace, living in a London squat in the seventies. One of the things I love most about it is the fine detail of the hopeful people making lives in the squats, the bleak Thatcher-ite world around them, the gritty feel of London – the city coming alive, and the hilarious insight into seat-of-the-pants publishing of the time. The launch is on 20 August – free but you need to book as it’s filling up quickly.

Book cover: Grace and Marigold - features a pair of black boots and autumn leaves.

The annual Davitt Awards in women’s crime writing are nearly upon us, with longlists and shortlists announced by Sisters In Crime. The big night, when we announce the winners in all the different categories is on 31 August. I’m sort of the MC and will spend part of the evening in conversation with guest of honour, Sulari Gentill, author of the Rowland Sinclair series and her newer contemporary mysteries such as the Woman in the Library. Tickets include dinner, and it’s likely to book out, so get organised, if you’re coming along. Details here.

See you out there!

Kelly