Diaries and Journals by AnneMarie Brear

Diaries and Journals by AnneMarie Brear

I collect Victorian diaries and journals, written mainly by women who have arrived in Australia after leaving England, but also by women born in colonial Australia. These diaries are brilliant when I’m writing a story set in colonial Australia and they give me an...
Researching my Sagas by AnneMarie Brear

Researching my Sagas by AnneMarie Brear

Primary sources, I feel, are a writer’s best friend, especially for a historical writer as I am. When researching, it is not always possible to visit your chosen setting, but if you can visit, make sure you don’t simply go to the main attractions, like a...
Rules of Book Club by Nina Manning

Rules of Book Club by Nina Manning

Always enter the hosts house through the back door. No book club host likes their doorbell going off every five minutes and waking up babies/over excited children. The host will put on a smile at the door for you, but inside they are silently cursing the day you were...
Meet the Cats by Judy Leigh

Meet the Cats by Judy Leigh

My cats are a huge part of my life: they totally own the entire house, and wherever I go, they are there. When I’m on my laptop, they surround me, sleeping on my chair or on the laptop itself. They know the way to get my attention is to crawl over the keyboard and...