Australian history

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Gallipoli, war, memory and heroes: Fremantle Press writer Michael Burrows shares his debut novel

February 26, 2021

Michael Burrows, author of Where the Line Breaks, sends a letter home from the muddy trenches of writing and editing a debut novel, in the style of the extraordinary letters sent home by the first Anzacs.

It takes a special kind of author to look death in the face and write about it with humanity, clarity and compassion; Stella Budrikis is such an author

October 1, 2020

In the first decade of the twentieth century, the Alice Mitchell murder trial gripped the city of Perth and the Australian nation. Stella Budrikis’s book, The Edward Street Baby Farm, retraces this infamous tragedy – a tragedy that ultimately led to legislative changes in order to better protect children's welfare. In this interview, Fremantle Press Publisher Georgia Richter asks the author to take us through the writing process and research methods behind this book.

Dylan Hyde's book, Art Was Their Weapon, wins the Royal Western Australian Historical Society's top prize

September 17, 2020

The Royal Western Australian Historical Society has awarded the Williams / Lee Steere Publications Prize to Dylan Hyde for his book, Art Was Their Weapon: The History of the Perth Workers’ Art Guild. Hyde wins a $1,000 cash prize and the official presentation took place at the Society’s annual general meeting on Wednesday 16 September.

It took academic turned library officer turned writer Rebecca Higgie 12 years to write her award-winning young adult novel The History of Mischief: a book for book lovers of all ages that won the inaugural Fogarty Literary Award for Western Australian writers aged 18 to 35

August 17, 2020

In this interview Rebecca talks about the histories behind the history and how these might be used to stimulate classroom discussions, research and writing activities.

In the latest Fremantle Press Podcast, host Rebecca Higgie invites historical fiction aficionados Dianne Wolfer and Elaine Forrestal to talk about the effects of war on young people and the harsh realities of gold fever in the unforgiving climate of Coolgardie

June 30, 2020

Dianne Wolfer and Elaine Forrestal are both well-loved and well-established writers who have published a shelfload of historical children’s fiction between them. Settle in for a great podcast as the pair go in-depth on their writing process, and share tips on how to research and write historical fiction.

Children's writer Elaine Forrestal shares her top five favourite nuggety facts about what it was like to live through the Coolgardie Gold Rush

June 1, 2020

Goldfields Girl by Elaine Forrestal is a historical novel for middle readers featuring real-life nineteenth-century teenager Clara Saunders. In this blog post, Elaine takes us into the exciting, dusty, fly-ridden world of a gold rush.

Seasoned crime novelists David Whish-Wilson and Pol Koutsakis discuss their current and upcoming books, cross-cultural humour and sense of place in their stories for this week's Love to Read Local Radio with Fremantle Press

May 19, 2020

What do you get when you put two criminal masterminds together? David Whish-Wilson and Pol Koutsakis talking books! In this fascinating episode, the pair discuss the hero – or antihero – in Pol’s two books, Athenian Blues and Baby Blue. Stratos Gazis, an ‘ethical hitman’, has a moral code that controls his choices and leads to intrigue. David’s PI Frank Swann is in a similar boat, falling into the thick of criminal dealings when all he wants is a simple, happy life as a family man.

Author Elaine Forrestal shares her top tips for how to make the most of 'disappearing down the rabbit hole of research' when writing historical fiction

May 2, 2020

I’m Elaine Forrestal and Goldfields Girl is my latest historical fiction for students, teachers and history buffs of any age. My fiction, in various genres, has been published since 1983. This is my third historical fiction novel. In this blog post I will share my top tips for using your local, state or national library to do research.

From Morse code to periscopes, Fremantle Press's free WWI kit has plenty of activities to do at home with your kids this Anzac Day

April 16, 2020

Anzac Day marks the anniversary of Australia’s first major military action, and is also a national day of remembrance that commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations.

Memoir, story and pictures: Anzac books to help us remember

April 15, 2020

Anzac Day marks the anniversary of Australia’s first major military action and is also a national day of remembrance that commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations. Though we may only be able to celebrate the Dawn Service with a candle in our front yards, we can still remember. From women war artists to home-front heroes, memoir to picture books, we’ve put together a list of 10 books that recognise the contribution and suffering of all those who served or who lived through those turbulent times. You'll find their stories inspiring and heartening.