Cirrus@Austlit

'The mystery surrounding Agatha Christie’s 1926 disappearance provided the inspiration for On the Blue Train, the second novel of US-based Australian author KRISTEL THORNELL. She tells MAUREEN EPPEN how her research led her to parts of England where the celebrated mystery author lived – and to the North Yorkshire hotel where she spent her ‘lost’ days.'

'Until I attended my first novel-writing course, I had never heard the word ‘pantser’. For those who don’t know, a pantser writes a short story or novel without a preconceived plot. It’s someone who ‘flies by the seat of their pants’ during the writing process.' (Introduction)

'Liam Pieper author of The Toymaker, recently faced a Q&A session led by young writer and bookshop employee Myles McGuire. The event was held at Riverbend Books in the Brisbane suburb of Bulimba.'

'Immersing yourself in research is essential for a conscientious journalist. But Australian journalist Luke Williams took things further than he expected when his investigation into crystallised methamphetamine – also known as ice – resulted in him becoming addicted to the drug himself and descending into psychosis. The Ice Age: a journey into crystal-meth addiction combines memoir with reportage as Luke examines whether ice usage is reaching epidemic proportions – or if it’s just another moral panic about the underclass. Here Luke outlines what life was like when he was in the grip of psychosis.'

'Geologist and former British Army man Jim Richards embarked on a quest for gold after he spotted a photo of a Brazilian goldmine in an old magazine. His new book, Gold Fever [sic], recounts his expeditions for gold in the piranha-infested waters of Central America, the jungles of Laos and in his own Western Australian backyard'