The Tassie Book Club- April 2026

by James Marten

The Woman Booker Prize Club is a local Hobart book club. Here they share their thoughts on books by Tasmanian authors, set in Tasmania, or about Tassie topics. Over to the club!

This month we have another two fabulous new/ish books from local authors. We have been absolutely swamped with new Tassie books in recent months and it doesn’t look like the tide will stop coming in any time soon. We can’t keep up, but it’s a great problem to have and we love to see the Tassie literary scene thriving!

The Endling by Keely Jobe (Scribe, March 2026) Review by Melanie Ross

Keely Jobe’s writing credentials precede her – she is, amongst other things, the nonfiction editor at Island Magazine – but The Endling is her first novel. And what a debut! We follow the lives of niece and aunty pair, Mila and Frank, over a handful of years, as they live atop an unnamed mountain in a women-only collective in the early 1990s.

Eking out an existence with a handful of other likeminded women (and an illegal dog), Mila and Frank’s world slowly starts to unravel after an encounter with an unusual orchid. When the young women all fall pregnant, despite the ongoing lack of men in the community, the fragile balance shatters.

Deeply original, organic and gritty (in every sense of the word), this novel doesn’t shy away from the unpleasant realities of life (in all its forms).

Grappling with the humanity of nature, and the animalism of humans, Jobe provokes readers to examine our ideas about life and death; nature and the seemingly unnatural; what binds us and what separates us. While a lack of easy answers might leave some readers unsatisfied, I’m looking forward to reading more of Jobe’s fiction in the future!

A Disappearing Act by Jo Dixon (Harper Collins, October 2025) Review by Kathryn Montgomery

It’s 1999. Marnie, Sarah, Poppy and Xanthea live in a run down warehouse in Melbourne. All are struggling artists, finding their way; creating, en couraging and being fiercely protective of the group – forming deep, complicated and lifelong bonds.

Fast forward 25 years and Marnie has achieved huge success as the writer of the group, with multiple published books and film adaptations. She spoils her close friends with a last minute weekend away, in secluded Southport, Tasmania.

The book flips between Marnie’s perspective in 1999 and Sarah’s in 2025. We see how loyalty between the women remains, yet their relationships have quietly shifted over time. When one of them goes missing on holiday, cracks start appearing in the carefully constructed versions of themselves they have presented to the world and each other.

A Disappearing Act is a psychological thriller that had me hooked from the first chapter. Jo Dixon builds tension slowly through layers of detail that kept me reading late into the night!

Book Chatter The Global Book Crawl is back in Hobart from 20-26 April. We had great fun making a day of it last year, popping into all our favourite places for a browse, and can’t wait to do it all again! Grab your passport from one of the six participating stores (Fullers Bookshop, Hobart Bookshop, Cracked and Spineless, Dymocks Centrepoint, Five Leaves Left and the State Bookstore), get at least four stamps from visiting other stores and you’ll be eligible for a free audiobook from libro.fm (families can also get a free Andy Griffiths book while stocks last)! And there are promises of other exciting surprises and special offers along the way.

Plus book launches galore! Tassie favourites Mary-Lou Stephens and Katherine Scholes are doing statewide tours for their new books, while numerous other local and visiting authors have events lined up around the island in April. Be sure to check out what’s on at your local bookshop, and book a ticket before they sell out!

Keen to chat books with us?

Find us @thewomanbookerprizeclub on Instagram or email thewbpc@gmail.com

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Hobart Happenings

by Steph Williams

Bits and Pieces- June 2026

Hobart Happenings

by Steph Williams

Bits and Pieces – May 2026

Bits and Pieces- May 2026

Stay up to date with everything happening at the Hobart Magazine.

Worker shortage is currently universal, there isn’t an industry that’s exempt. For Kelvin Smith, four years ago he decided there was a very obvious solution to the shortage facing the construction industry, and all that was needed was a little time, empathy and a helping hand. Integrate Workforce is a Hobart-based labour company with one requirement: a refugee/ migrant background. He’s also the outdoor piano man in his free time.

Landscape artist and creative Elliott Nimmo is enjoying discovering Hobart’s vibrant art scene and local environment after relocating here from London to pursue his art.

Even though Tasmania is known for its mild summers, it doesn’t take much to get sunburnt. Tasmania experiences extreme ultraviolet (UV) levels, but contrary to popular belief this isn’t due to the hole in the ozone layer, which is actually south of the continent.While higher UV levels often occur at the same time as higher temperatures, the two are not linked. Instead, UV levels are determined by the angle of the sun in the sky: the higher the sun, the higher the UV. In December and January, the position of the sun over Tasmania gives the state a UV index of 11 or more on most days, which is classified as “extreme” on the UV index. Tasmania’s lack of humidity and generally clear skies contribute to the stinging feeling of the sun. UV can reflect off buildings and water, making it possible to get a higher dose of UV from these reflected rays, even in the shade.

Setting up shop during a pandemic was a risky move, but if the crowd at Dāna Eating House (Dāna) on a Friday night is anything to go by, it’s one that’s paid off. With tables of diners chatting and laughing over drinks, the music and conversation buzzes off the monstera-leaf-green walls. Low-hanging rattan lights and worn wooden floorboards give the newly opened South-East Asian fusion venue in Hobart’s CBD a relaxed vibe.

A Holyman flagged ship hasn’t steamed up the River Derwent since 1984 but the company’s name still proudly adorns its former offices at 5 Morrison Street, Hobart.

Widening the Tasman Bridge to allow 3.5 metres on each side is a big win for walkers and cyclists.

Need a laugh? Check out @theinspiredunemployed feed on Instagram.

Rain, hail and shine, the school crossing guards are always there to help with a smile on their face.

It’s hard to believe it’s not standard practice to have a working phone in every aged care room - shared phones make private conversations impossible and increase the risk of spreading COVID-19.

Just when you think your cousins are alright. NZ Opposition Leader Judith Collins took aim at Tassie during her recent (unsuccessful) campaign, calling us Australia’s “poor cousin.” She also seems worried about us nabbing tech businesses, “It’s a lovely part of the world but do you necessarily want to go there with your high- tech business? Possibly not,” she said. We beg to differ!