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Artist statement – on becoming a crime writer
My first publication happened when I was seven, in the Young Saskatchewan Writers school district anthology. In my copy, a message from my grade one teacher reads, ‘Keep writing stories.’ In 2017, I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, and ended up mostly homebound and unable to participate meaningfully in my own life. I was…
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Writing advice – Keep going
A lot of emerging writers ask, ‘Can I do this? Should I keep going, or am I wasting my time?‘ I asked it all the time during my many years as an aspiring and emerging writer, and I kept sending my work to people hoping someone could give me a definitive answer. I used to…
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On writing and persistence
In 2017, my manuscript was one of five shortlisted for the Kill Your Darlings Unpublished Manuscript Award. None of the writers on the list had a book published at the time. Here’s an excerpt from the announcement: I started the creative non-fiction manuscript that became Full of Donkey in 2010. I had my first essay,…
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Operation Caroline and the bomb that shook South Yarra
At 2.16 am on 23 November 1986, a car bomb exploded at 44 Caroline Street in Melbourne, outside the Turkish consulate in South Yarra. Because it was the middle of the night, the only person injured was the bomber himself – he died, blown to pieces by his own bomb, which wasn’t part of the…
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From final draft to publication to audiobook
In 2017, I found myself with a 12,000-word novella. It was best piece of fiction I’d ever written, and possibly my best piece of writing full stop, and it sat on my hard drive, dreaming of readers. I hadn’t intended to write a novella; my master’s degree program had dictated the word length. But writing…
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19 reasons books make the best gifts
Books are rectangle-shaped, and nothing’s easier to gift wrap than a rectangle. Giving someone a book makes you seem smart and attractive. You can find a book on literally any topic, including Cooking on Your Car Engine, snakey biographies, and Crafting with Cat Hair. No time to wrap? Books fit well in gift bags. Every…
Ashley Kalagian Blunt 