Cirrus@Austlit

'Alexis Wright is shortlisted for the 2018 Stella Prize for Tracker, the collective memoir of Aboriginal leader and visionary Tracker Tilmouth. In this special Stella interview, Alexis shares insights into how the book came about, the importance of Tracker Tilmouth’s legacy and what she’s working on next.' (Introduction)

'Mirandi Riwoe is shortlisted for the 2018 Stella Prize. In this special Stella interview, Mirandi shares her favourite contemporary Australian female writers, and the background to – and inspiration for – her novella, The Fish Girl.' (Introduction)

'Michelle de Kretser is shortlisted for the 2018 Stella Prize. In this special Stella interview, Michelle shares her favourite Australian women writers from the recent past and what inspired The Life to Come.' (Introduction)

'Krissy Kneen is shortlisted for the 2018 Stella Prize for her novel An Uncertain Grace. In this special Stella interview, Krissy shares what inspired her writing, the future possibilities of technology for driving empathy and understanding, and the Australian women writers who spur her on.'

'Shokoofeh Azar is shortlisted for the 2018 Stella Prize for her novel The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree. In this special Stella interview, Shokoofeh shares the experiences that informed the novel, the writers that inspire her work and how writing is a means of resistance.' (Introduction)

'Claire G. Coleman is shortlisted for the 2018 Stella Prize for her speculative fiction novel Terra Nullius. In this special Stella interview, Claire shares some thoughts about the process of writing and how the novel came to be.' (Introduction)

'Cory Taylor’s Dying: A Memoir is shortlisted for the 2017 Stella Prize. It was written in the space of a few weeks before Cory’s death from cancer in July 2016. To honour her shortlisting and celebrate the book, Cory’s friend Kristina Olsson shares this reflection.' (Introduction)

'Heather Rose is shortlisted for the 2017 Stella Prize for her novel The Museum of Modern Love. In this special Stella interview, Heather discusses the murky line between fact and fiction, the power of art, and what it feels like when a character in your book gives you feedback.' (Introduction)

'Emily Maguire is shortlisted for the 2017 Stella Prize for her novel An Isolated Incident. In this special Stella interview, Emily discusses the crime genre, the ways we deal with (and fail to deal with) violence against women, and her favourite Australian women writers.'(Introduction)

'Catherine de Saint Phalle is shortlisted for the 2017 Stella Prize for her memoir of her parents, Poum and Alexandre. In this special Stella interview, Catherine discusses shifting from writing fiction to nonfiction, being mentored by books, and the differences (and similarities) between French and Australian literary culture.' (Introduction)

'Maxine Beneba Clarke is shortlisted for the 2017 Stella Prize for her memoir The Hate Race. Maxine is the first author to be shortlisted for the Stella Prize twice, after her short story collection, Foreign Soil, was recognised in 2015. In this special Stella interview, Maxine shares some thoughts about the process of memoir writing, the pull of the poetic form, and what it’s really like to write while female.' (Introduction)

'Georgia Blain’s final novel, Between a Wolf and a Dog, was published in 2016 and is currently shortlisted for the 2017 Stella Prize. Sadly, Georgia passed away from a brain tumour in December 2016. To honour her shortlisting and celebrate the novel, Georgia’s friend and fellow writer Tegan Bennett Daylight shares this reflection.' (Introduction)

'Stella Schools Ambassador Randa Abdel-Fattah’s new YA novel, When Michael Met Mina, delves into the charged politics of refugee policy in Australia at a time when the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers is a burning topic of public debate. When Michael Met Mina tells two parallel stories: in one, a young refugee and her family are catapulted into a world where casual racism is the norm; in the other, a young man slowly comes to realise that he has grown up following his parents’ beliefs without questioning their underlying logic.

'When she was young, Mina and her family came to Australia by boat, as refugees from Afghanistan. After settling in the Western Sydney suburb of Auburn, the family suddenly has to move to the affluent North Shore when Mina receives a scholarship to an elite private school. Once there, she comes into contact with Michael, who she has met before – on the opposing side of a refugee rally. Michael’s parents have founded a new political party called ‘Aussie Values’, and Michael has quietly absorbed his parents’ anti-immigration stance. Michael’s and Mina’s attraction to each other causes both to ask questions about what they really stand for.

'When Michael Met Mina is a love story, but its sharply observed politics and compelling characters make for a far more complex tale than familiar boy-meets-girl storylines. Abdel-Fattah also teases out the complexities of family life, and of friendships old and new, delivering an intricate depiction of both characters and politics that resonates with the current state of affairs in Australia.

'Randa chatted with Stella Schools Program intern Sarah Farquharson about her doctoral research into Islamophobia, how her job as a writer is to make her characters uncomfortable, and why she hopes that young readers will learn to recognise and challenge the everyday, systemic racism all around us.' (Introduction)

'The Stella Prize chats to Schools Ambassador Steph Bowe, author of YA novels Girl Saves Boy and All This Could End.'

'The Stella Prize chats with Schools Ambassador Zoya Patel, the founder/editor of online feminist journal Feminartsy, and the former Editor-in-Chief of Lip Magazine.' 

'Fiona Wright is shortlisted for the 2016 Stella Prize for her collection of essays, Small Acts of Disappearance: Essays on Hunger. We spoke to Fiona about writing fellowships, her favourite cafés and the people who inspire and influence her.' (Introduction)

'Charlotte Wood is the the author of 2016 Stella Prize shortlisted book, The Natural Way of Things. We chatted to Charlotte about the writing process and the real life inspiration behind her book. '(Introduction)

'Mireille Juchau is the author of 2016 Stella Prize shortlisted book, The World Without Us. We chatted to Mireille about her mentors, favourite authors and the spaces in which she works.'(Introduction)

'Elizabeth Harrower’s collection of short stories, A Few Days in the Country: And Other Stories is shortlisted for the 2016 Stella Prize. We spoke to Elizabeth about  literary villains, reasons for writing and her trusty Olympia typewriter.'(Introduction)

'Peggy Frew’s novel Hope Farm is shortlisted for the 2016 Stella Prize. We asked Peggy a few questions about endings, inspiration and the writing process.' (Introduction)