I'll be sitting in the window of my wonderful neighbourhood bookshop, the Macleay Bookshop, on Saturday 12 May between 12 and 1 pm. The gorgeous television personality and author Indira Naidoo came up with the idea with Richard Stern, who runs the pocket-size but much loved and well-stocked bookshop, to put neighbourhood literati on display in the bookshop window over two Saturdays. I'm following Delia Falconer and Indira's following me. It should be fun and we're all happy to have a chat with whoever pops in - and of course sign books.

Macleay Bookshop, 103 Macleay Street, Potts Point, Sydney. 12 May from 12-1. See you there.

The Review of Australian Fiction, a new online journal featuring one established and one emerging writer in each beautifully designed volume, has just published my new short story The Frenchman's Kiss along with Daniel Ducrou's Ruthless. It's a steal, or rather a thoroughly legal download at A$2.99 (or subscribe to the series - details on the website).

The Frenchman's Kiss

I've been carrying this story in my head for over thirty years - there was a Frenchman, there was a kiss. There was Taiwan. The rest, more or less, is fiction. But I think of him to this day and wonder how he is and what he is doing. I know, I know, if I was on Facebook, he'd have 'friended' me by now, or I could have stalked him... nah. Let me live in wonder, in all senses of the word.

By the way, the way The Review of Australian Fiction works, every time you download, the authors get a bit of the money. It's a great, workable system for online publishing, and one that should do well for readers and writers both. So if you like the story, tell your friends about it too. If enough of you download it, I'll have enough for a cup of coffee and I may see you down at the cafe.

The Frenchman's Kiss

The Australian literary community is in shock following the announcement by new premier of Queensland, Campbell Newman, that as a cost cutting measure he will be axing the Queensland Literary Awards from 2012. As my friend, the iconic Queensland writer Nick Earls points out in a briliant post on his blog http://nickearls.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/triple-a-credit-rating-now-locked-in-for-qld-on-the-axing-of-the-premiers-lit-awards/#comment-273, the $250,000 saved represents less than 0.00028% of the state's debt: 'It’s the difference between going $20,000 into debt to buy a car and instead being really smart about your finances and only having to borrow $19,999.94.'

After I was informed of the decision by the administrators of the Premier's Literary Awards by email, I wrote back with the following letter. (If you would like to write your own letter on the subject, their email is This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ). By the way - I've never even been short-listed for one of these awards. It's not about me. It's about how the value of such awards to Australian writers and Australian culture generally.

Dear Sir or Madam,

Thank you for your email informing me of Premier Newman's decision to axe the Queensland Premier's Literary Awards. Like everyone else in the Australian literary community, I am appalled by this news. The savings to the Queensland budget are negligible to the point of risible, the damage done to the state's reputation, built up over the last several decades, as a place where the arts are valued and supported, maximal.

There seems to be a thuggish tendency among certain Liberal and National leaders - but definitely not all, and by no means representative of the entire Liberal Party, National Party or their supporters - to belittle and undervalue the role of literary culture in our society. Mr Newman would most likely be surprised by the number of people among his supporters who are passionate about the importance of books and reading - although he shouldn't be as the Brisbane Writers Festival has for years attracted a huge and enthusiastic audience, including many country-based Queenslanders and inter-state visitors to Brisbane. 

I believe that many of Mr Newman's own supporters would have long been proud of the prestige accorded to Queensland in Australian cultural circles by the awards. They offer important material and moral sustenance to this country's writers, who work so hard to tell Australian (including Queensland's) stories for so little reward. The David Unaipon Award, moreover, was unique in this country, and made a massive contribution to the recognition of indigenous literature. 

Surely, there are other parts of government where one might cut costs with less consequence.

The news makes me want to weep. If he cannot be persuaded to change his mind for 2012, I urge Mr Newman to restore the Premier's Literary Awards in 2013.

Thank you.
Best wishes,
Linda Jaivin
(author)