ABC Radio's The Book Show on the debate about the origin of fairytales. Audio is available to stream or download. A transcript is also available.

Carissa's Weblog

On The Book Show George Williams reviews the new collection The Best of Gene Wolfe, and James Bradley shares his theory on why Stephenie Meyer's vampires are so popular. Audio is available to stream or download, and there's a transcript of the Wolfe piece; wait a couple days and there may be one for the Bradley too.

Carissa's Weblog

Melbourne Writers' Festival is running a fundraising event on the 21st of July that features Shaun Tan introducing an early screening of the film Coraline, based on the book by Neil Gaiman. Money raised will go to the MWF Schools' Program.

Carissa's Weblog

The International Association for the Study of Popular Romance Conference will take place in Brisbane on the 13 & 14th of August.

Papers to be presented include:

– Kim Wilkins, University of Queensland, Australia: “’Deliciously contrary’: Reimagining Medieval Women’s Agency in Australian Popular Romance”,

– Margot McGovern, Flinders University, Australia: “And so the Lion Fell in Love with the Lamb: Acts of Inversion in the Young Adult Vampire Romance”, and

– Anthea Taylor, University of Queensland, Australia: “Romance, Masochistic Desire and Vampiric Subject-Formation in the Twilight Novels”

Carissa's Weblog

Mitchell Jordan interviews Shaun Tan for this month's issue (#86) of lit blog Bookslut.

Carissa's Weblog

Gary Kemble interviews Stephen M. Irwin, author of The Dead Path, for ABC News Online.

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NSW Writers' Centre is running the workshop Magic and Fantasy – Exploring the 'Otherworld' with Felicity Pulman on the 2nd of August.

Carissa's Weblog

The release of Margo Lanagan's Tender Morsels in the UK has raised a bit of controversy. Here's two articles I came across, first from The Guardian Online, and the second from The (Daily) Mail Online.

Carissa's Weblog

ABC News talks to Russell T. Davies about "life, Doctor Who, and the return of Torchwood", including an extended audio interview.

Carissa's Weblog

The deadlines for action, animation, fantasy, horror, & science fiction filmmakers to submit their genre feature film to the 2009 Maelstrom International Fantastic Film Festival (MIFFF) in Seattle are as follows:

Regular Deadline: July 20th, 2009
Late Deadline: July 30th, 2009
Without A Box Extended Deadline: August 10th, 2009
Schedule Announced: August 25th, 2009
Festival Begins: September 18th, 2009

To submit your film or for additional information about MIFFF, please visit the newly launched official website at www.mifff.org

Carissa's Weblog