Lynne Leonhardt's Blog

Wonderful to see Step Up, Mrs Dugdale chosen as WritingWA's Book for Month of May - Review & BOOK CLUB NOTES: When Henrietta Dugdale gathers her three young sons to her in the spring of 1867 and runs away from her bigamist husband, she puts into motion events that will lead to her recognition as a hero and trailblazing suffragette for women’s rights in Australia. This novel is based on a true story of the author’s ancestor, pieced together from family history, meticulous research and a desire to bring to light a life that was lived with conviction and fortitude. https://lynneleonhardt.com/reviews-st...

Motherhood was very much idealised in the nineteenth century. It was confirmation that a woman had entered the world of ‘womanly virtue and female fulfilment’. Yet, however flawless, a mother – as a married woman – had no legal rights to her children or any other property. Read on

https://lynneleonhardt.com/thoughts

Up until recently, my thoughts have been pretty much centred upon finishing my latest novel, Step Up, Mrs Dugdale and getting it out into the world. But when my friend, Amanda Curtin, kindly invited me to do a guest post on her blog, I jumped at the opportunity. Amanda is the author of KATHLEEN O'CONNOR OF PARIS (narrative non-fiction), ELEMENTAL and THE SINKINGS (novels) and INHERITED (short story collection), and her writing has won much acclaim.

On Amanda’s 2, 2 and 2 series, I talk about Step Up, Mrs Dugdale and reflect on 2 things that inspired the book, 2 places connected with the book, and 2 influences on the book. 
https://lynneleonhardt.com/thoughts

It’s that time of the year when I slip into marmalade mode. Normally I would have already made umpteen batches by now, but this year I’m running late. Over the past month, the Seville orange tree at the back of my garden has been steadily offloading its crop onto the lawn in an attempt to shame me into honouring my part of the bargain. Meanwhile the fruit-flies have been have been having a field-day. Finally, last Saturday, election day, of all days, I got to it. Perhaps it was those slogan words, “conserve” and “preserve”, prompting me into action. Read on
http://lynneleonhardt.com/lynnes-blog/

Here is the latest book and author Q & A doing the rounds. I tried to worm my way out of it but two writers, Amanda Curtin and Louise Allan tagged me so I ended up having to play the game! (the ‘rules’ are pasted at the end of the post). Read on http://lynneleonhardt.com

I was somewhat taken aback last week at my presentation at the Royal WA Historical Society. Just as I was about to speak, a member of the audience came rushing up to the podium waving a mysterious looking envelope in front of me.

On opening it I discovered, to my utter delight and bemusement, that it was a card. The card is not for you, the presenter was quick to explain, for the benefit of the audience, but would you please pass it on. Read on http://lynneleonhardt.com/lynnes-blog/

This week I appear as guest writer on Goodreads author, Annabel Smith's, blog.

"Memorable books are a bit like memorable meals. It’s difficult to isolate them from the social, political and personal context in which they were consumed. Whether you enjoyed a book often depends on where you were, what you were doing and what was going on around you; in general, what food for thought your impoverished soul was hungering for at the time. - See more at: http://annabelsmith.tumblr.com/post/5...

"Let us be judged by our actions."

DID YOU KNOW that the first women’s Club in Australia was the KARRAKATTA CLUB founded in Perth in 1894. One of its founding members was Edith Cowan who of course later became Australia’s first woman parliamentarian. http://www.lynneleonhardt.com/news&am...

Last weekend I returned to my birthplace, the no-longer-little town of Donnybrook, to talk about my book, Finding Jasper. Much has changed and, not surprisingly, there were far more new faces at my talk than old. Read on
http://lynneleonhardt.com/news-events/

I am thrilled that my novel Finding Jasper has been long listed for the 2013 Dobbie Literary Award, a category of "The Kibble Awards" open to Australian women writers. http://www.perpetual.com.au/pdf/Kibbl...

The long listed authors will be announced on Thursday 11 April at 9am.

The short listed authors will be contacted in the coming month and will be announced to the public on Wednesday 5 June. The winners of both the Kibble Literary Award and the Dobbie Literary Award will be announced on Wednesday 24 July.

Congratulations to all those long listed for "The Kibble Awards".