I\u2019m sorry I\u2019ve been away so long. I managed to get an infected bone. My finger is still infected but, bit by bit, I\u2019m back to normal work. Routine has been very hard to regain, because of on and off restrictions due to the pandemic. I was restricted until I was vaccinated and now I\u2019m vaccinated, my whole city is in a very thorough lockdown.<\/p>\n
What have I been doing with my time? I\u2019m working on my PhD. It\u2019s the right kind of research for right now because I don\u2019t actually need libraries at this point. I am being as clever as I can and working from my computer. It\u2019s literary studies doctorate and my case studies are fantasy novels and it\u2019s the perfect thing to do when life is sour. In The Wizardry of Jewish Women<\/i><\/a> I made a joke about a demon-infested lemon tree throwing sliced lemons at one of the characters so imagine me turning those lemon slices into a delicious drink. It\u2019s the best way of handling the impossible.<\/p>\n I\u2019m a little public for a bit, too, because of Australia\u2019s Reading Hour<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every year Australians are encouraged to stop for an hour and read, and the world of libraries and schools and bookshops works together to encourage that reading. One of the key ways they promote it is to nominate writers as Ambassadors, and me, I\u2019m one this year<\/a>. This year is a bit light-on for events, because everything has to be online, but there is one that is free. Three writers (Sophie Masson, Juliet Marillier and me) will be chatting about books. Here is the link to it: https:\/\/www.newc.org.au\/what-writers-read.html<\/p>\n