Emily Paull

January is a month that goes quickly, whilst simultaneously feeling as if it is five years long. I don't think I've ever quite come to terms with the fact that after you leave school, you don't just automatically get given summer holidays. But here we are-- January 29. We have made it.  I've been trying to build writing back in to my regular routine, aided and abetted by my wonderful writers group, the Perth History Writers' Salon. Currently, I am doing a fine-toothed-comb through of the draft I finished last year. With my rostered hours about to increase at work, I've gone back to the tried and true method of writing at night. This worked well enough for me back in my bookselling days. I just have to tear myself away from whatever excellent novel I happen to be reading at the time... easier said than done. On the subject of excellent novels, I am very much enjoying having my own writing room/ library at our new house, even if I have already over-filled it with ...

 I went to see SIX the Musical in Perth last night after many years of hearing about how great it was. If you're not familiar with the concept, SIX is a kind of rock opera/ pop concert type show in which the six wives of Henry the Eighth are reimagined as pop divas competing for the role of 'lead singer in the band.' The competition? To see which one of them endured the worst treatment (and sometimes abuse) from their royal husband, Henry the Eighth. It's funny, clever, and full of girl power moments that had me cheering myself hoarse. It's currently on at Crown Theatre so do go see it if you can. And if you've already seen it but want to know more about who these women were, aside from the well-known rhyme -- Divorced, Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived-- here are a few book suggestions for you to check out. Ones I've Read - The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels by Philippa Gregory My introduction to the Tudor era came through reading Philippa Gregory...

It's been a bit of time between blog posts. So much has happened this year.  I've been adjusting to my new role as a librarian, working (somewhat sporadically) on two novels, and most recently, I've been moving house. There also seems to be all manner of chaos going on in the world at the moment. It's relentless-- after the horror of the 2020 bushfire season, we now have continual flooding; war overseas; another wave of the dreaded virus. Sometimes, it's a little bit too much.  But, when the world outside seems to be falling down around your ears, you can always read a book. It will remind you of worse things you could be enduring, or show you that others have survived the same before, or perhaps transport you to somewhere entirely more pleasant, at least for a while.  Here are ten such books which were real standouts during my 2022 reading. In 2022, I was still drawn to strong female characters, but I was also looking for humour, and a touch of lightness. I discove...

This review was originally published by The AU Review on April 22, 2022. Shipwrecks, court fashions and the Dutch art trade of the 17th Century take centre stage in   Lauren Chater’s   third historical novel,  The Winter Dress . Chater was inspired by a shipwreck discovered in 2014 off the island of Texel, containing a dress perfectly preserved underwater for four hundred years. The dress was later found to have belonged to Jean Kerr, Countess of Roxburghe, a lady-in-waiting to Queen Henrietta Maria. In the fictional counterpart to this history, the dress belongs to Anna Tesseltje, who began her life as a merchant’s daughter, but was forced to become a laundress after his death. By chance, Anna is elevated to the position of lady’s companion to Catharina van Shurman, a celebrated artist and advocate for women’s education. Anna and Catharina were said to be close, but the discovery of Anna’s dress on a boat belonging to the Dutch East India Company indicates that the pai...