The Tassie Book Club - October 2026 - The Hobart / Launceston Magazine

The Tassie Book Club – October 2026

by James Marsten

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’re heading from Tasmania to Tanzania, Sandy Bay to Uruguay, to the 1940s and the 1970s. What a whirlwind! Head on in with two brilliant, much loved Tasmanian authors.

The Hobart Hotel by Mary-Lous Stephens (HarperCollins Publishers, March 2026) Review by Emily Schade

Mary-Lou Stephens is back! After regaling her readers with stories of apples, chocolate and jam, Stephens turns her eye to the glamour and controversy of Wrest Point – home to Australia’s first legal casino, and formerly the Hotel Riviera – once Australia’s most talked-about hotel.

Told across two timelines, this is a story of allure and intrigue, and how where you live affects who you are.

Sabine Winters (or is she?) is escaping an escalating European war and returns to her hometown to hide. Jenny Davies, against the wishes of her mother, is tired of playing it safe and wants a taste of the life promised by blackjack and roulette. Stephens takes us from Sandy Bay to Uruguay, from the Second World War to the glitzy 1970s with romance, family dynamics, jewel theft and coming-of-age threads artfully woven in.

While it doesn’t address the significant social problems the casino brings, The Hobart Hotel is an enjoyable read (and escapism). I found myself being swept along with the glitz and mystery, and I particularly enjoyed the picture painted of 1970s Hobart.

One Night at Silver Lake by Katherine Scholes (Penguin, April 2026) Review by Kathryn Montgomery

It’s 1967; Sara lives in Tanzania, wife to a mine manager. Dealt with the news her husband Richard is infertile and that they are unlikely to be able to have a child together, Sara is devastated. While Richard is dealing with a disaster at the mines, Sara is dealing with an unexpected family tragedy closer to home. These events are the catalyst for a different journey to motherhood, taking Sara, whose life has been shaped by grief, on a journey halfway around the world to Tasmania.

Sara is deeply connected to Maasai culture, more so than her Welsh heritage, which presents challenges in her most vulnerable encounters. Ultimately, this strong connection gives her the strength to find a way forward towards peace and resolve. These moments are well balanced and provide a moving and well-paced experience for the reader.

Tanzania and Tasmania are deeply familiar locations for the author, Katherine Scholes, having herself grown up in Tanzania, and currently living in Tasmania. Drawing on her own experiences has resulted in a book that feels as grounded in location as it does in the characters.

Katherine Scholes is a prolific writer, with 10 novels published in multiple languages. This is the first novel of hers I have read, and now I have an incredible backlog of award-winning novels to dive into.

Book Chatter October means Love Your Bookshop Day! #LYBD2026 Block out 10 October in your calendar and visit all your favourite local bookshops around Tasmania for special events, deals and giveaways.

One such special event is Speed Dating for your Books at Fullers, 5pm-6:30pm. It’s a fun night out to meet new books, and fellow readers – and us! We’ll set you up on mini “book dates”, where you’ll introduce a favourite book to a fellow reader (and vice versa). We’ll ring a bell, you’ll move tables and do it again with someone else. We’ll give you a list of all the book recommendations to take home – plus, there will be cake (and drinks) and some little freebies – and maybe some prizes! Book your ticket at www.trybooking.com/au/event/1644112

This is also your last chance to join the new book club Read and Meet Tasmania at Hobart Bookshop. Launched in September, most sessions are running out of space already! See www.hobartbookshop.com.au/page/Read-and-Meet-Tasmania-Bookclub

P.S. a little bird told us Boo Doof might be coming to Hobart…

Keen to chat books with us?

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

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Extras

Hobart Happenings

by James Marten

Bits and Pieces – August 2026

Hobart Happenings

by Steph Williams

Bits And Pieces – July 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!