Ben Okri, Jana Wendt and Thomas Vowles on heartbreak, new beginnings and queer Melbourne
Ben Okri is a Nigerian born, UK based writer who won the1991Booker Prize for his novel The Famished Road. His new novel has the wonderful title Madame Sosostris and the Festival for the Broken-Hearted. It takes us to a dreamlike masked ball in the south of France, a night of magic and mistaken identity. To attend this festival, you have to have had your heart smashed by love. Ben Okri shares the influence of Shakespeare and T.S. Eliot on his imagination and how he thinks of himself as a "listening board" as an artist.
Jana Wendt is one of Australian best-known journalists and now has a new string to her bow. She's just published her first work of fiction, The Far Side of the Moon and other stories. While the stories, for the most part, are not linked her characters are almost exclusively older people remembering past loves, successes and failures. Jana Wendt shared with Claire Nichols why she made the shift from fact to fiction.
Screenwriter and novelist Thomas Vowles talks about the pain that inspired his first novel, Our New Gods which is about a lost, gay young man whose longing to belong exposes him to deception and exploitation. It's set in Melbourne's queer scene, between share houses, bath houses and the pool and The Book Show's Sarah L'Estrange visits him in his own share house from where he "watches the world go by".
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
5 hours ago
- News.com.au
Desperate': Prince Harry's latest move a bid to ‘ease tension' as he fights for reconciliation
Prince Harry is said to be 'desperate' to reconcile with his family. The Daily Mail recently reported that the Duke of Sussex quietly extended an olive branch to the royals by offering to share his official schedule of engagements. According to the outlet, this is a bid to ease tensions between him and his father, King Charles III, who is battling an undisclosed form of cancer. Fox News Digital reached out to a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for comment. The couple's office declined to comment when reached by People magazine. 'Harry is now desperate,' British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital. 'While this self-serving gesture is notable, it won't do much to mitigate suspicion and caution on the royal side,' Fordwich claimed. 'King Charles III is now more guarded than ever, indeed somewhat traumatised by a string of betrayals.' Fordwich noted that, according to palace insiders, the king 'has expressed being 'cautious and wary' regarding fearing further unsavoury leaks, [especially] private royal family gatherings being publicised yet again.' 'Also, overall doubt still prevails in Prince William's camp,' Fordwich claimed. 'He considers any reconciliation at all as a 'grave mistake.' His senior royal courtiers are understood to be just as wary and immensely protective of the future monarch. They only see [a reconciliation] as creating more bombshells, as well as instability.' According to the outlet, Harry's proposal will allow transparency, avoiding conflicts between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's public outings and the British royal family's engagements. This will also attempt to quash rumours the Sussexes are trying to overshadow the royal family. It's noted that Harry's recent visit to Angola honouring his late mother, Princess Diana, eclipsed stories about Queen Camilla's 78th birthday. The outlet also revealed that Harry sharing his diary would potentially spark conversations about when father and son can meet in person again. Harry and Charles were last together for a brief meeting in February 2024 after Buckingham Palace announced the 76-year-old's cancer diagnosis. Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital he's optimistic about Harry's latest move. 'This represents a gesture of goodwill,' he said. 'The Sussexes should always respect the royal calendar, where natural care is taken to avoid clashes whenever possible. … This is a practical move that will be appreciated. It appears the Sussexes are getting some good advice.' Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner agreed. 'This is a very significant departure and development for Harry as he attempts to find a peaceful way forward,' he told Fox News Digital. 'In my opinion, this should be construed as a way forward and one which the royal family should accept and move forward to a peaceful conclusion for the future.' This story originally appeared on Fox News and is republished here with permission.
Sydney Morning Herald
5 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
The worst of the summer wine
'Mention of Ben Ean Moselle [C8] and Sparkling Rhinegolde brought back memories of the '60s when we weren't exactly spoilt for choice,' writes Bill Yonge of Frenchs Forest. 'We thought we were really cool hosts when we put twin bottles of Mateus Rose and Casal Garcia on the table at dinner parties.' 'The BBC Sounds app has just restricted overseas residents from listening to UK-archived content,' laments David Storie of Windsor Downs. 'I did a search on the site for The Goons that used to get me episodes of the great radio comedy, but all I got was a number of news items on Donald Trump. I know which one is funnier.' Recent discussion on political toilet paper (C8) has led Susan Geason of Bondi Junction to recall that 'many years ago, when I was at university, someone had written, above the toilet paper dispenser, 'BAs, take one.' I think we were in one of our regular recessions.' 'My XJ6 was a beautiful car back in the 1970s,' declares Max Petrie of Palm Beach. 'When the fuel gauge showed empty, a flick of a switch brought the other side tank [C8] into service. They were separate fuel tanks with no connecting pipework.' Tim Crawshaw of Kenthurst had the same setup on his S Type 3.8 and says it was handy on a long drive. Brian Blunt of Kensington says, 'Mention of cars with low mounted filler caps under the boot reminded me that, while it was fairly easy to fill up from a bowser, they did tend to back-spray when nearing the full level. Also, it was almost impossible if you had to do it with a drum and funnel after running out of petrol.' 'Perhaps a Column 8-er or self-confessed Tour de France widower Charles Purcell knows,' ponders Irene Thom of Vaucluse. 'What does Tadej Pogacar do with all those stuffed lions he receives on the podium?' Julia Belford of Uralla reports on another random act of kindness (C8): 'Recently, I attended my cousin's funeral and returned to my accommodation at Mantra The Observatory in Port Macquarie. I went downstairs for dinner at the Italian restaurant. When I went to pay for my meal, I discovered that the lovely young couple who left just before had paid for me. A difficult day became a beautiful day. Thank you so much, whoever you are. May you be truly blessed.'
The Age
5 hours ago
- The Age
The worst of the summer wine
'Mention of Ben Ean Moselle [C8] and Sparkling Rhinegolde brought back memories of the '60s when we weren't exactly spoilt for choice,' writes Bill Yonge of Frenchs Forest. 'We thought we were really cool hosts when we put twin bottles of Mateus Rose and Casal Garcia on the table at dinner parties.' 'The BBC Sounds app has just restricted overseas residents from listening to UK-archived content,' laments David Storie of Windsor Downs. 'I did a search on the site for The Goons that used to get me episodes of the great radio comedy, but all I got was a number of news items on Donald Trump. I know which one is funnier.' Recent discussion on political toilet paper (C8) has led Susan Geason of Bondi Junction to recall that 'many years ago, when I was at university, someone had written, above the toilet paper dispenser, 'BAs, take one.' I think we were in one of our regular recessions.' 'My XJ6 was a beautiful car back in the 1970s,' declares Max Petrie of Palm Beach. 'When the fuel gauge showed empty, a flick of a switch brought the other side tank [C8] into service. They were separate fuel tanks with no connecting pipework.' Tim Crawshaw of Kenthurst had the same setup on his S Type 3.8 and says it was handy on a long drive. Brian Blunt of Kensington says, 'Mention of cars with low mounted filler caps under the boot reminded me that, while it was fairly easy to fill up from a bowser, they did tend to back-spray when nearing the full level. Also, it was almost impossible if you had to do it with a drum and funnel after running out of petrol.' 'Perhaps a Column 8-er or self-confessed Tour de France widower Charles Purcell knows,' ponders Irene Thom of Vaucluse. 'What does Tadej Pogacar do with all those stuffed lions he receives on the podium?' Julia Belford of Uralla reports on another random act of kindness (C8): 'Recently, I attended my cousin's funeral and returned to my accommodation at Mantra The Observatory in Port Macquarie. I went downstairs for dinner at the Italian restaurant. When I went to pay for my meal, I discovered that the lovely young couple who left just before had paid for me. A difficult day became a beautiful day. Thank you so much, whoever you are. May you be truly blessed.'
