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 review two quite-new novels (released this April), with stories strongly connected to their Tasmanian settings.

Dancing with Bees by Anna Maynard (Echo Publishing, April 2025)

Review by Emily Schade

Sunny is 33; she’s working a few jobs she doesn’t love, has a fractured relationship with her Mum, doesn’t seem to be any ‘good’ at relationships and hasn’t seen joy for a while. She’s stuck in a rut and wants to change things up. On a whim, she decides to start keeping bees and enlists the help of Al, who turns out to be significantly less grey-haired and doddery than she expected. What ensues is not just a romance, but the rediscovery of self, joy and finding meaning in passion.

This is a very Hobart-based rom-com and I loved the references to South Hobart life, including the Salad Bowl (IYKYK), the purple scooters and the connection to Antarctica. The characters were fun and believable and I’m fairly certain I’ve met a few of them – it is Hobart after all.

Dancing with Bees was an easy and joyful read with just the right amount of depth and is an impressive debut from Anna. Anna’s bio tells us that when she’s not writing romance she’s working in the emergency department – thank you Anna! I’ll bee keeping my eyes peeled for what she writes next (pun intended).

The Remarkable Truths of Alfie Bains by Sarah Clutton (Allen & Unwin, April 2025)

Review by Megan Tighe

Alfie Bains has grown up believing his only family is his mother, Emilia. But, when Emilia gets sick and Alfie demands she needs backup, she reluctantly admits they have an extended family. Suddenly transported to Beggar’s Rock (Stanley, with artistic license) in north west Tasmania, Alfie is on a mission to find what else Emilia has hidden from him – and perhaps, a father?

While Alfie Bains himself charms with his precocious intelligence and pluck, it’s the older women – the grandmothers – who are the real heroes in this story. We experience most through their perspectives, as they overcome regrets and some personal demons to finally stand up for themselves (for Alfie).

Despite layers of quirk and whimsy in the small town setting, Sarah Clutton also sharply observes (and skewers) some social dynamics that will be familiar to those who have lived in small towns on small islands. This novel also has a surprisingly dark, emotional heart…but don’t be put off. Ultimately, the reader is embraced within overriding currents of love and warmth, and a dose of good humour.

There are plenty of clues and signposts to help keen sleuths predict the plot reveals, but always more twists and turns to come so it’s never ‘predictable’. Honestly, I read a few chapters one night and once I picked it up the second night, I found the pacing and the voices so compelling I had to stay up into the wee hours to finish it.

Book Chatter

June saw a succession of locals cosied up in the ReadersBLOCK (including us!) or making progress on their projects in the WritersBLOCK located in Salamanca Square. Created by local writer/artist Dr Lucy Christpher – supported by UNESCO Hobart City of Literature, City of Hobart, UTAS, Hobart Bookshop and Fullers Bookshop – this month-long InsideOUT installation explored the various ‘blocks’ or distractions that hold us back from reading or writing as much as we would like.

In the same spirit, Libraries Tasmania’s current campaign is the ‘Warm Winter Read’. Running from 1 July to 31 August, it’s all about taking advantage of winter to hole up with a book and make reading a regular part of your days. Set reading goals; track your books, and submit reviews to be in the chance to win prizes! Find more information at www.libraries.tas.gov.au.

Keen to chat books with us? Find us on Instagram @thewomanbookerprizeclub or email thewbpc@gmail.com