How to Be an Author: The Business of Being a Writer in Australia by Georgia Richter; Deborah Hunn

$34.99 AUD

Category: Writing

Georgia Richter and Deborah Hunn look at the business of becoming an author. In a friendly, informative and practical way they share all you need to know about inspiration and research, preparing to submit to a publisher, creating an author brand, legal, ethical and moral considerations, pitching and ef fective social media and much more. ...Show more

How Should One Read a Book? by Virginia Woolf

$16.99 AUD

Category: Writing

"Where are we to begin? How are we to bring order into this multitudinous chaos and so get the deepest and widest pleasure from what we read?" Published for the first time as a standalone volume, Virginia Woolf's short, impassioned essay, How Should One Read a Book? celebrates the enduring importance of great literature. In this timeless manifesto on the written word, rediscover the joy of reading and the power of a good book to change the world. One of the most significant writers of the 20th Century, Woolf is as relevant today as she was a hundred years ago. ...Show more

The Happy Reader - Issue 15 by Various

$8.99 AUD

Category: Writing

For avid readers and the uninitiated alike, this is a chance to reengage with classic literature and to stay inspired and entertained. The concept of the magazine is simple- the first half is a long-form interview with a notable book fanatic and the second half explores one classic work of literature f rom an array of surprising and invigorating angles. ...Show more

Word Perfect: Curious Coinages and Etymological First Aid For Every Day of the Year by Susie Dent

$32.99 AUD

Category: Writing

'Susie Dent is a one-off. She breathes life and fun into words and language' Pam Ayres 'Susie Dent is a national treasure' Richard Osman Welcome to a year of wonder through the English language with Susie Dent, lexicographer extraordinaire and queen of Countdown's Dictionary Corner. From Turning a Blind Eye (Nelson putting the telescope to his missing eye to ignore the order to stop fighting) to why May Day became a distress call; from stealing someone's thunder to the real Jack the Lad, from tartle (forgetting someone's name) to snaccident (unintentionally eating a whole packet of biscuits), WORD PERFECT is her brilliant linguistic almanac full of unforgettable true stories tied to every day of the year. You'll never be lost for words again. ...Show more

100 Children's Books That Inspire Our World by Colin Salter

$32.99 AUD

Category: Writing

An amazing collection of the most beloved, original, inspiring, hysterical, heart-warming, compelling, rude and downright scary books that have enchanted children the world over. In 100 Children's Books That Inspired Our World, author Colin Salter brings together an exceptional collection of truly groun dbreaking children's books - from Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer to the graphic novels of Dr. Seuss. All the classic children's authors are represented with one stand-out book, plus mentions for their best-known works. Ordered chronologically, the book features favourite children's books ranging from Victorian classics to modern day bestsellers. Entries include: Alice in Wonderland, Treasure Island, Charlotte's Web, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Matilda, Watership Down, Tales of Hans Christian Anderson, Grimms Fairy Tales, Peter Pan, A Bear Called Paddington, The Snowman, The Secret Garden, How to Train Your Dragon, Anne of Green Gables, Harry Potter, James and the Giant Peach, The Gruffalo, Mr Men, Coraline, Herge's Adventures of TinTin, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Finn Family Moomintroll, Swiss Family Robinson, Heidi, The Hobbit, The Red Balloon, The Jungle Book, Mary Poppins, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, His Dark Materials, The Railway Children, Noddy, The House at Pooh Corner, The Sheep Pig, Stig of the Dump, Fungus the Bogeyman, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Secret Seven, Famous Five, Black Beauty, The Diary of a Young Girl, The Boy in Striped Pyjamas, Artemis Fowl and many more who lived happily ever after. ...Show more

Complete Creative Writing Course by Chris Sykes

$34.99 AUD

Category: Writing

LEARN HOW TO WRITE CREATIVELY WITH THIS COMPREHENSIVE AND PRACTICAL COURSE.The only comprehensive Creative Writing title on the market that goes beyond introducing the basic genres to offering a complete journey along the writing path, including material on editing, redrafting and polishing a piece of w ork. Featuring the unique Workshop exercises to encourage readers to hone their work rather than just progressing through a number of exercises.Takes the reader from complete beginner or committed amateur to the point you've completed, edited and redrafted your work and are ready for publication.ABOUT THE SERIESThe Teach Yourself Creative Writing series helps aspiring authors tell their story. Covering a range of genres from science fiction and romantic novels, to illustrated children's books and comedy, this series is packed with advice, exercises and tips for unlocking creativity and improving your writing. And because we know how daunting the blank page can be, we set up the Just Write online community at tyjustwrite, for budding authors and successful writers to connect and share. ...Show more

Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide by John Cleese

$19.99 AUD

Category: Writing | Reading Level: near fine

____________________________ PRE-ORDER NOW- AVAILABLE 3rd SEPTEMBER 2020 Creativity is usually regarded as a mysterious, rare gift that only a few possess. John Cleese begs to differ, and in this short, immensely practical and often very amusing guide he shows it's a skill that anyone can acquire. Drawi ng on his lifelong experience as a writer, he shares his insights into the nature of the creative process, and offers advice on how to get your own inventive juices flowing. What do you need to do to get yourself in the right frame of mind? When do you know that you've come up with something that might be worth pursuing? What do you do if you think you've hit a brick wall? Not only does he explain the way your mind works as you search for inspiration, he also shows that, regardless of the task you've set yourself, you can learn to be better at coming up with a promising idea, refining it and knowing when you're ready to act on it. We can all be more creative. John Cleese shows us how ...Show more

Cult Writers by Ian Haydn Smith; Kristelle Rodeia (Illustrator)

$24.99 AUD

Category: Writing | Series: Cult Figures Ser.

In Cult Writers Ian Haydn Smith introduces 50 novelists deserving of a cult status. The literary genres and subjects explored within these writers’ pages are rich and diverse – acting as mirrors of their genius minds: from Irvine Welsh’s gritty Edinburgh streets, to Ken Kesey’s drug-fuelled madness; fro m feminist trailblazer Sylvia Plath to the magical realism of Angela Carter. Discover little knowns with small, devout followings and superstars gracing the covers of magazines: each writer is special in their individuality and their ability to inspire, antagonise and delight.  Following Cult Artists, Cult Filmmakers and Cult Musicians, Cult Writers is an essential addition to any book lover's library, as well as an entertaining introduction to our weird and wonderful world of literature.The writers:  Kathy Acker, James Baldwin, J.G. Ballard, Mikhail Bulgakov, Charles Bukowski, William S. Burroughs, Octavia E. Butler, Italo Calvino, Albert Camus, Angela Carter, Colette, Maryse Conde, Julio Cortazar, Philip K. Dick, Douglas Coupland, Marguerite Duras, Ralph Ellison, Elena Ferrante, Janet Frame, Jean Genet, Joseph Heller, Michel Houellebecq, James Joyce, Franz Kafka, Ken Kesey, Chris Kraus, Milan Kundera, Ursula K. Le Guin, Doris Lessing, Cormac McCarthy, Carson McCullers, Yukio Mishima, Haruki Murakami, Anais Nin, Sylvia Plath, Thomas Pynchon, Raymond Queneau, Ayn Rand, Pauline Reage, Jean Rhys, Juan Rulfo, Francoise Sagan, J.D. Salinger, Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, Donna Tartt, Jim Thompson, J.R.R. Tolkien, Kurt Vonnegut, Virginia Woolf, Irvine Welsh. ...Show more

Down in the Valley - A Writer's Landscape by Laurie Lee

$22.99 AUD

Category: Writing | Series: Penguin Modern Classics Ser.

A moving portrait of the landscape that shaped the life of Laurie Lee, the beloved author of Cider With Rosie 'Before I left the valley I thought everywhere was like this. Then I went away for 40 years and when I came back I realized that nowhere was like this.' Laurie Lee walked out of his childhood village one summer morning to travel the world, but he was always drawn back to his beloved Slad Valley, eventually returning to make it his home. In this portrait of his Cotswold home, Laurie Lee guides us through its landscapes, and shares memories of his village youth - from his favourite pub to winter skating on the pond, the church through the seasons, local legends, learning the violin and playing jazz records in the privy on a wind-up gramophone. Filled with wry humour and a love of place, Down in the Valley is a writer's tribute to the landscape that shaped him, and where he found peace. ...Show more

Dreyer's English by Benjamin Dreyer

$19.99 AUD

Category: Writing

''An utterly delightful book to read, Dreyer''s Englishwill stand among the classics on how to use the English language properly.'' ELIZABETH STROUT ''A complete joy. For those who care about words - and for those who don''t - Dreyer''s English is the book we have all been waiting for. Wise, funny, no-n onsense, stylish and brilliantly practical. Ditch the beach books this year; take this instead.''RACHEL JOYCE _______________________ An indispensable, New York Times-bestsellingguide to the craft of writing from Random House''s long-time copy chief and one of Twitter''s leading language gurus. We all write, all the time- books, blogs, tweets, emails, emails, emails - and we all want to write better. Benjamin Dreyer is here to help. As Random House''s copy chief, Dreyer has upheld the standards of the legendary publisher for more than two decades. He is beloved by authors and editors alike - not to mention his followers on social media - for playfully, brilliantly deconstructing the English language. Dreyer''s English is the distillation of everything he has learned from copyediting thousands of books, the perfect guide not just for writers but for everyone who wants to put their best prose foot forward. Both authoritative and amusing, Dreyer''s Englishoffers lessons on punctuation, from the underloved semicolon to the enigmatic en-dash; the rules and non-rules of grammar, including why it''s OK to begin a sentence with ''And'' or ''But'' and to confidently split an infinitive; and why it''s best to avoid the doldrums of the Wan Intensifiers and Throat Clearers, including ''very'', ''rather'', ''of course'', and the dreaded ''actually''. And yes- ''Only godless savages eschew the Oxford comma.'' Stuffed with advice, insider wisdom, and fun facts, this book will prove to be invaluable to everyone who wants to shore up their writing skills, mandatory for people who spend their time editing and shaping other people''s prose, and - perhaps best of all - an utter treat for anyone who simply revels in language. _______________________ This book is written in British English._______________________''A fascinating guide to grammatical "rights" and "wrongs" - practical and useful''SUNDAY TIMES ''Benjamin Dreyer''s brilliant, pithy, incandescently intelligent book is to contemporary writing what Geoffrey Chaucer''s poetry was to medieval English- a gift that broadens and deepens the art and the science of literature by illustrating that convention should not stand in the way of creativity, so long as that creativity is expressed with clarity and with conviction.'' JON MEACHAM ''Meet the guardian of grammar who wants to help you be a better writer. Benjamin Dreyer sees language the way an epicure sees food. And he finds sloppiness everywhere he looks.''THE NEW YORK TIMES ''A fascinating guide to grammatical ''rights'' and ''wrongs'' - practical and useful'' SEBASTIAN FAULKS,SUNDAY TIMES ''If learning about the pillars of punctuation and grammar doesn''t excite you, let Benjamin Dreyer change your mind ... he analyzes the English language without dipping into the drab technicalities, crafting a pleasing read for anyone who has an appreciation for the written word.''TIME MAGAZINE,BEST 10 NON-FICTION BOOKS OF 2019 ''Witty and piquant ... full of jokes - and equally full of deliciously deprecating footnotes.'' JEWISH CHRONICLE ''Playful, smart, self-conscious, and personal . . . One encounters wisdom and good sense on nearly every page of Dreyer''s English.''WALL STREET JOURNAL ''Destined to become a classic.''THE MILLIONS ''A mind-blower--sure to jumpstart any writing project, just by exposing you, the writer, to Dreyer''s astonishing level of sentence-awareness.'' GEORGE SAUNDERS, author of Lincoln in the Bardo ''Pleasurable and instructive ... You can read Dreyer''s Englishright through with unalloyed enjoyment, and learn a lot from it- not only from its rulings but from its attitude ... Benjamin Dreyer is wise and bitterly experienced and fantastically good company. You should buy his book and read it.'' TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT ''Dreyer can help you . . . with tips on punctuation and spelling. . . . Even better- He''ll entertain you while he''s at it.''NEWSDAY ''Boisterously well written ... I recommend it highly.'' INDEPENDENT ''It is Benjamin Dreyer''s intense love for the English language and his passion for the subject that make the experience of reading Dreyer''s Englishsuch a pleasure, almost regardless of the invaluable and practical purpose his book serves in such dark and confusing times for grammar and meaning.'' AYELET WALDMAN & MICHAEL CHABON ''An informative and entertaining handbook on how to write clearer English. It''s pithy, witty and a near perfect example of the kind of writing it advocates'' STING ''Dreyer promises to reveal "some of the fancy little tricks I''ve come across or devised that can make even skilled writing better", and does so with accuracy, style, and humour'' GUARDIAN ''This work is that rare writing handbook that writers might actually want to read straight through, rather than simply consult.'' PUBLISHERS WEEKLY ...Show more

Find Your Creative Mojo - How to Overcome Fear, Procrastination and Self-Doubt to Express YourTrue Self by Josh Langley

$24.99 AUD

Category: Writing

Genius and Ink - Virginia Woolf on How to Read by Virginia Woolf

$19.99 AUD

Category: Writing

FOREWORD BY ALI SMITH WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY FRANCESCA WADE Who better to serve as a guide to great books and their authors than Virginia Woolf? In the early years of its existence, the Times Literary Supplement published some of the finest writers in English: T. S. Eliot, Henry James and E. M. Fors ter among them. But one of the paper's defining voices was Virginia Woolf, who produced a string of superb essays between the two World Wars. The weirdness of Elizabethan plays, the pleasure of revisiting favourite novels, the supreme examples of Charlotte Brontë, George Eliot and Henry James, Thomas Hardy and Joseph Conrad: all are here, in anonymously published pieces, in which may be glimpsed the thinking behind Woolf's works of fiction and the enquiring, feminist spirit of A Room of One's Own. Here is Woolf the critical essayist, offering, at one moment, a playful hypothesis and, at another, a judgement laid down with the authority of a twentieth-century Dr Johnson. Here is Woolf working out precisely what's great about Hardy, and how Elizabeth Barrett Browning made books a "substitute for living" because she was "forbidden to scamper on the grass". Above all, here is Virginia Woolf the reader, whose enthusiasm for great literature remains palpable and inspirational today. ...Show more