events

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!

Miss Caroline Bingley’s unceasing attempts at world domination continue. We can’t stop her. God knows we’ve tried, but she persists, and who are we, mere authors, to stand in her way?

Coming up soon:

Warm Winter Reads, Northcote Library: 16 July

I’m looking forward to giving an author talk as part of the Winter Reads series at Darebin Libraries, on Wednesday 16 July at 6pm. You’ll hear about how and what I write, and especially the influence of Miss Austen and our version of Caroline Bingley. It’s free, but do book here. Fairfield Bookshop will be on hand and I believe there may even be cake! I know it’s hard to leave the house on a Melbourne winter night, but it’ll be worth it.

Virtual JaneCon, online: 19 July

Virtual JaneCon is billed as a “radically inclusive Jane Austen event”, and it’s held online so people can attend anywhere in the world. My co-author Sharmini and I appear with our dear colleague Dr Kylie Mirmohamadi, talking about Miss Bingley and Mary Bennet, two characters Jane Austen doesn’t seem to like much, and all the other sessions look fascinating. It’s over the weekend July 19-20, with video sessions posted on YouTube. You can see all the details here.

Afternoon tea, Antipodes bookshop Sorrento: 30 July

Join me and Sharmini for a special afternoon tea celebration of Miss Austen’s 250th birthday in Sorrento, at the always-stylish Antipodes Bookshop. Murder, mystery, and afternoon tea (there will be no actual murder, you understand, just discussion of imaginary murders). Also bubbles. 2pm on Wednesday 30 July. Bookings essential and details here.

Bendigo Writers Festival, 16-17 August

Always a terrific writers’ festival, with a huge programme and always thoughtful guests. I’m involved in three events this year:

On the Lam 10:15 am, Saturday 16 August. I’m part of a panel with Tara Calaby and Lucy Sussex, chaired by Steph Downes, on spirited women of the past – in fact and fiction.
Carrying On 10:30 am, Sunday 17 August. I look forward to interviewing Melanie Cheng, Kylie Mirmohamadi and Jock Serong on the nature of grief and ghosts, legacies and loss and their beautiful novels.
Edinburgh: Midnight and Blue 11:45 am, Sunday 17 August. I’m interrogating crime writers Fiona Hardy and Jock Serong about Ian Rankin and his take on justice, redemption and the blurred lines between right and wrong in the book, Midnight and Blue.

Bendigo’s full program is here, and it’s a ripper.

Words in Winter, Hepburn Springs, 24 August

Talking crime with champion chair Jacqui Horwood and Zane Lovitt, author of The Body Next Door. We’ll be trying to answer the enormous questions, crime fiction: who writes it and why? 11.30am, Sunday 24 August, Hotel Bellinzona, Hepburn Springs. Tickets and details here, and check out the rest of the program because there are some great writers involved (Tony Birch, Nadia Mahjouri, Izzy Roberts-Orr and many more!).

Hope to see you out there!

PS This time two years ago I was walking (well, at this point, plodding along slowly and painfully with boots full of blisters) the length of Hadrian’s Wall, so here’s a gratuitous photo of that most spectacular country, because it never ceases to amaze me. In fact, I’ve written a whole novel set there now (still rewriting).