The Crying Room was mentioned on ABC News Breakfast along with Colson Whitehead, Claire Kilroy and Emily Perkins.
Category Archives: Eating by the book
The Crying Room Launch
The Crying Room was launched on 6 July 2023 at Ariel Books by the excellent novelist and critic James Bradley, whose books Clade and Ghost Species you should definitely read. Please enjoy these photos taken by my husband Julien Klettenberg.
The Crying Room
Buy The Crying Room here. Shortlisted for the 2024 Christina Stead Prize for Fiction. ‘Deeply rewarding. Shirm dances with a light step across the delicate territory between laughing and weeping.’ Helen Garner ‘Deft, original and clever; this novel unfolds a drama of family distance, kindness and the surprising endurance of love.’ Gail Jones ‘Reminiscent ofContinue reading “The Crying Room”
Start to Write
I will be teaching a ‘Start to Write’ course through Faber Academy at Allen & Unwin on 10, 11 and 12 November 2020. The course will run in the evening from 6.30pm to 8.30pm and will be offered online. For details and booking, visit the Faber Academy website here.
Helen Garner’s Collected Stories
Helen Garner’s Postcards from Surfers was a revelation to me when I started writing. The silences within her stories are so bold and radical, it really showed me that writing is as much about what is on the page as what’s left off it. The book also contains one of my favourite sentences ofContinue reading “Helen Garner’s Collected Stories”
My review of Nicole Krauss’s Forest Dark appeared in The Age and Sydney Morning Herald over the weekend and can be read, here. Reading Forest Dark, was one of the most disorientating experiences I’ve ever had reading a book. For much of the time, I found the book difficult to read, the prose leaden and quiteContinue reading
Review of Elizabeth Strout’s Anything Is Possible
I’ve always admired Elizabeth Strout’s writing. Olive Kitteridge was a huge influence on me as a writer and I thought it was a career defining book for her until she produced Anything Is Possible. I tried to sum up my thoughts about this book for The Australian, you can read my review here.
Where the Light Falls – Nominated for the Christina Stead Prize for Fiction in the NSW Premier’s Awards
I’m thrilled that my novel has been shortlisted for the Christina Stead Prize for Fiction in the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. You can also vote for it or any of the other excellent shortlisted books in the NSW People’s Choice Award, here. NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, Judges’ comments: ‘Where the Light Falls is brimming with virtuosoContinue reading “Where the Light Falls – Nominated for the Christina Stead Prize for Fiction in the NSW Premier’s Awards”
Gretchen Shirm 