176 ratings | 65 reviews | avg rating:4.24

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Jane Messer

Goodreads Author

Born

Melbourne, Australia

Website

http://janemesser.com/

Genre

Nonfiction, Fiction, Memoir

Member Since

July 2013

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/janemesser

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I'm a writer of fiction and creative nonfiction, with novels, radio plays and other works published over the years.

My newest work is Raven Mother: War, Family and Inheritance, a memoir (2026, NewSouth Publishing).

I'm a passionate reader of Australian and world literature including literature in translation, and love popular genre lit including YA, Speculative and fantasy.

I'm also a teacher of creative writing, which is very much a vocation for me. I've been teaching since the early 1990s and headed up the Creative Writing programs at Macquarie University for many years. These days I mentor individual writers and run Masterclasses.

In 2025, I launched StorySALOON: Short Stories, Centre stage, a live show and podcast devoted to growing the ...more

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Combine Editions
Jane Messer’s books

Average rating: 3.42 · 128 ratings · 23 reviews · 7 distinct works • Similar authors

	Hopscotch 3.36 avg rating — 90 ratings — published 2015 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Provenance 3.45 avg rating — 20 ratings — published 2007 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Bedlam: An Anthology of Sleepless Nights 3.38 avg rating — 8 ratings — published 1997	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Night by night 3.40 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 1994	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Raven Mother: War, Family and Inheritance, a memoir it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Certifiable Truths : Stories of Love and Madness really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Raven Mother: War, family and inheritance: a memoir it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Jane Messer…

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Jane Messer's Blog: The art of narrative

Raven Mother: War, Family and Inheritance, a memoir — out now

For Sydneysiders, you’re invited to the launch of my new book, Raven Mother, on Tuesday March 24, being held at the bookstore I’ve had the longest relationship with, the award-winning independent bookstore, Gleebooks. Register/RSVP here: 6pm for 6.30 start. I’ll be in conversation with award-winning author and genius editor Kim Kelly.

Gleebooks events now have a podcast from their author events, G

Jane is Currently Reading

Jane Messer is currently reading

The Time of Our Lives: Growing Older Well

by Robert Dessaix

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Mar 17, 2026 02:39PM

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Jane Messer rated a book really liked it Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Though published ten years ago, Finding Audrey is such a fresh, funny and engrossing story, finely written, with the now 'out of date' internet/phone tech elements adding a vintage patina to the novel. There's lots of wisdom and humanity here for all ...more
Mar 17, 2026 05:08PM · like · see review
Jane Messer and 2 other people liked G.G.'s review of Sister Kate: "A deeply affecting portrait of Kate Kelly (1863-1898), Ned Kelly's younger sister. So far as I know, nothing like Ned (Edward) Kelly's The Jerilderie Letter and the Cameron Letter survives for Kate, so Bedford has had to create a voice for her charac" Read more of this review »
Mar 17, 2026 03:22PM · see review
Jane Messer and 19 other people liked Paul's review of Sister Kate: "4.5 stars Not being Australian, I haven’t grown up with the mythology of the Kelly gang, although I know the outline of the story. This novella approaches the myth from a different perspective. Jean Bedford has taken the story and told it from a femal" Read more of this review »
Mar 17, 2026 03:22PM · see review
Jane Messer rated a book liked it Yesterday's Weather by Anne Enright	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
There's no doubt these are good short stories, written by a confident writer who knows how to do it. I've loved many of Enright's novels and stories. In this 'collected works' anthology which includes stories from her earliest publishing days, there's ...more
Mar 17, 2026 02:50PM · like · see review
Jane Messer rated a book it was amazing Mothers Disgrace by Robert Dessaix	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 17, 2026 02:40PM · like
Jane Messer is currently reading The Time of Our Lives: Growing Older Well by Robert Dessaix	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 17, 2026 02:39PM · like
Jane Messer rated a book liked it Consider Yourself Kissed by Jessica Stanley (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 17, 2026 02:37PM · like
Jane Messer rated a book it was amazing Raven Mother: War, family and inheritance: a memoir by Jane Messer (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 27, 2026 03:03PM · like
Jane Messer rated a book liked it Actress by Anne Enright	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 25, 2026 03:37PM · like