The Australian Women Writers’ (AWW) Challenge was set up to help overcome gender bias in the reviewing of books by Australian women. The challenge encourages avid readers and book bloggers, male and female, living in or outside Australia, to read and review books by Australian women throughout the year. You don’t have to be a writer to sign up. You can choose to read and review, or read only. (The guidelines for what makes a good review can be found here.)
This year the Challenge is focusing on classics and/or forgotten books by Australian women. Some suggestions are:
- A post with crime-ish recommendations for books in all the categories on the new “bingo” card which requires the reading of 9 classic books
- Spotlights on any other “classic” or forgotten Australian women crime writers/books that anyone feels passionate enough to write about
- A post (or posts) with recommendations for an AWW kind of crime curriculum – 25 classic crime books by Aussie women you must read before you die or similar
The Challenge’s main means of communication is via its blog though there is also an email newsletter which comes out monthly.
If Sisters in Crime members are interested in taking on any of these ideas or have other ideas, please contact Bernadette Bean on bernadette@bernadettebean.com
More info:
- The most recent annual wrap-up of crime & true crime http://australianwomenwriters.com/2017/01/2016-wrap-up-crime-mystery/
- One of the special posts I wrote (this one on lesbians in Australian women’s crime fiction) http://australianwomenwriters.com/2014/03/lesbian-crime-fiction-in-australia/
- A link to the Challenge’s database of reviews http://australianwomenwriters.com/book-search/
- A link to the Challenge’s Facebook page for readers/reviewers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1822313588049143/
- A link to the Challenge’s Facebook page for writers/publishers https://www.facebook.com/groups/151372585341311/