Sherryl Clark

Stories from the past have not enjoyed great popularity with Australian children or publishers in recent years. Historical fiction has been limited to the ‘My Story’ kind of book, and we rarely see historical non­fiction picture books such as those published in the US. It is interesting, therefore, to look at a range of Australian picture books that tackle stories from past eras, and to co ... (read more)

Putting together a collection or anthology is not as easy as it looks. There are decisions to be made about theme, order and intent, which are often based on the intended audience. Three recent anthologies for children show that, in children’s literature at least, originality and diversity are achievable. Poems by Young Australians Vol.2 could be read by anyone who enjoys poetry. Here we have t ... (read more)

Tackling a ‘worthy’ theme and making a poem or story readable and entertaining is a challenge. There is a fine line between subtlety and didacticism. My Gran’s Different manages, just barely, to stay on the right side. The narrator’s grandmother is different: she has Alzheimer’s, though this is never spelt out. Instead, there is a dual story: one part is the journey of a boy on his way t ... (read more)

Garry Disher: The Sunken Road is a so-called literary novel. I find that I’m a bit typecast, Garry Disher the crime writer or Garry Disher the children’s writer. A lot of the fiction I’ve written is so-called more literary in nature. This is my big book, up to date, if you like. It’s a novel set in the wheat and wool country in the mid-north of South Australia where I grew up. It’s ... (read more)