'Larissa Behrendt’s second novel, the award-winning Legacy (2009), explored the influence of the father. Her new book, After Story, turns her gaze to the matriarchy, which she examines through the fractured relationship of Jasmine, a successful city lawyer, and her grief-stricken mother, Della, as they tour literary sites in England.' (Introduction)
'There are complex, fundamental questions around how we relate to non-human animals. How can we find a way to organise our systems so they are not exploitative or degrading and are not poisoning the land and water we all depend on? What might a genuinely sustainable ethic of cross-species interdependence look like? Are our cultural stories and mythologies about animals harmful or helpful?' (Introduction)
'Last week, Tasmanian writer Amanda Lohrey won the Miles Franklin Literary Award for her eighth book of fiction, The Labyrinth. It tells the story of Erica Marsden, who moves to a small coastal town near where her mentally disturbed artist son is jailed for homicidal negligence. Two of Lohrey’s previous novels were shortlisted for the prize and she has either won or been shortlisted for the Victorian, New South Wales and Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards and the 2012 Patrick White Award.' (Introduction)
