Janice Simpson Janice Simpson i(A144825 works by)
Also writes as: J.M. Simpson
Born: Established: 1951 ;
Gender: Female
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Works By

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1 Our Father, Who Art in Heaven : Reflecting on How Christian Text Can Influence Nonfiction Writing Janice Simpson , 2018 single work criticism
— Appears in: TEXT Special Issue Website Series , October no. 51 2018;

'Child adoption practices in twentieth century Australia were largely reliant on Christian agencies to facilitate the separation of child from mother and the subsequent re-homing of that child with others, almost always married couples referred as suitable parents by their local minister or priest. Stories told by adoptees are frequently stories of loss, grief and abandonment, as recorded in memoir, government inquiries and research studies. The creative work presented in this paper is titled another Exodus: men women leaving children. In this work I chose to ‘embody’ the ‘shell’ of the King James Version of the first two chapters in Exodus, a book in the Bible’s Old Testament. The work forms part of my broader study of experimental writing, in this case combining a bricolage approach to research with the hermit crab form of the lyric essay, undertaken during my creative practices research. The reader is invited to form fresh, and perhaps transformed, understandings of the impact of the Christian churches’ role in adoption policy and practice in Australia, and the subsequent effects of that influence and intervention on our collective cultural and emotional psyche.'
1 1 y separately published work icon Murder in Mt Martha Janice Simpson , Ormond : Hybrid , 2016 9434083 2016 single work novel crime

'A half-naked body of a girl is discovered on a driveway in Mt Martha. A young man researching his grandfather's defection to Australia from the Hungarian Olympic team in 1956 is having trouble with his love life. An old man living alone with his cat discovers hidden clues ... Set in Melbourne in the 1950s and the present, this crime novel was inspired by an unsolved murder in 1953. Historically accurate in the details, it blends social commentary with character development and resolution.

'If you like Rankin's Edinburgh and Mankell's Ystad, you'll love Simpson's Melbourne. This is a gritty and disturbing work of crime fiction. ' (Publication summary)
1 The Real Thing in Thirty-four Stanzas i "Somehow my friend convinces me to sign up. ‘You’ll see local areas that only locals know about,’ she says. ‘Just", Janice Simpson , 2014 single work poetry
— Appears in: SWAMP , September no. 15 2014;
1 y separately published work icon A Body of Work Janice Simpson , Yarraville : Apsley Press , 2013 14757898 2013 single work novel thriller

'What happens when the keynote speaker at an important arts festival is found dead?

'Welcome to modern Melbourne, UNESCO City of Literature, home to arts festivals galore as well as the internationally famous Melbourne Cup horse race. But the Imagine Festival, held in late August, has more surprises in store than the Festival Director planned when he discovers Deborah Dangerfield's lifeless body upstairs at the Malthouse Theatre.

'Join Senior Sergeant Brendan O'Leary, a family man who's struggling to keep up with life's changes and Ange Micelli, fourth daughter of Italian migrants, who's fit, fiery and ready to go. Together they make a formidable team in this fast-moving thriller that uncovers much more than just the identity of the murderer.

'Through Simpson's spare and gritty prose, threads of political intrigue, society gossip and secret adoption are woven together, capturing the essence of urban Australia.'  (Publication summary)
1 y separately published work icon Let Sleeping Dogs Lie Janice Simpson , Port Adelaide : Ginninderra Press , 2011 Z1836593 2011 single work autobiography travel 'Rushing across eight countries on a bicycle sounded like a good idea before flying solo to Paris to begin the journey. The author knew how to mend a puncture and change a tyre, but did not reckon with how she might fill in the never-ending hours as the kilometres hummed by under her wheels. Humour and courage are brought to the test. Worries are juxtaposed against the backdrop of European life and the lives of her fellow riders as they pedal from Paris to Istanbul, following the route of the Orient Express. The story weaves between the present and the past, Europe and Australia, and the author's life as daughter, mother and wife.' (Publisher's website)
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