Ruth Starke

Nov 23, 2023 | australianbookreview.com.au | Ruth Starke |Arts Highlights

What I’ll have to do is, I’ll have to read that play.                    (J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye) The greatest play by the greatest playwright, Hamlet has over the centuries daunted readers far older than Holden Caulfield. Today, however, he would have another choice: he could read the novel of the play, and one written especially for his age group.

Oct 17, 2023 | australianbookreview.com.au | Ruth Starke

A decade ago, when the number of dead mums in young adult fiction had reached epidemic proportions, I drew attention to the phenomenon via the pages of Viewpoint (Vol. 6, No.1), and called for a halt to, or at least a diminution in, the rate of literary matricide. I suggested that authors might find another way of generating sympathy for their young protagonists or, if they were determined to explore grief and loss, kill off other members of the family and give mums a break.

Apr 13, 2023 | australianbookreview.com.au | Bec Kavanagh |Ruth Starke |Susan Lever |Jo Scanlan

Welcome to the October issue! The ABR Elizabeth Jolley Prize is now firmly established as one of Australia’s most prestigious and lucrative short story competitions. 1200 people entered this year. Our judges have whittled them down to a shortlist of three stories, and we publish them in the new issue. The winner will be announced at a ceremony in Sydney on 28 October.