The Tassie Book Club- June 2026

by Stephanie Williams

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 novels that transported us, and left us with many unanswered questions…but to very different places, with very different vibes, and for very different reasons.

Frogsong by Melissa Manning (UQP, April 2026) Review by Rosie Hunt

Author Melissa Manning grew up in southern Tasmania, and it shows – her writing has a powerful sense of this unique place. Manning’s debut collection of linked short stories, Smokehouse, transported me from a Melbourne sharehouse in Covid lockdown right back to the comfort of Kettering and Bruny Island. In her new novel, Frogsong, Manning returns to a small-town Tassie setting with similarly powerful results.

Teenagers Caro and Danny grew up inseparable, spending hours by the waterhole charting the transformation of tadpoles into fully formed frogs. When Danny’s mum passes away towards the end of school, the pair’s paths begin to diverge. At uni in Hobart, Caro keeps bending herself out of shape to stay close to Danny, until his disappearance forces her to reckon with what her life might look like without him.

Manning’s writing style is evocative and almost poetic; it quietly drew me in and made Caro and Danny’s story deeply real. The depiction of Danny’s grieving dad, Col, is beautifully tender. And while there are many questions left unanswered, the novel’s ending was hugely satisfying. As a coming-of-age story inextricably linked to the Tasmanian natural world, Frogsong will appeal to readers of local favourites Erin Hortle and Robbie Arnott, and is a worthy addition to the Tasmanian literary canon.

A Sunny Place for Shady People by Mariana Enriquez (Granta, September 2024) Review by Kathryn Montgomery

I can’t remember the last time a book left me feeling as unsettled as this. I was positively haunted by the dark writing in this collection of short stories by Mariana Enriquez (our latest literary import, who has swapped Buenos Aires for Launceston).

The stories are interwoven with Argentina’s history of dictatorship and socioeconomic inequalities, and transports us into many different lives. These are far from typical ghost stories: a girl is left deeply wounded trying on haunted dresses, while another is living with a skin rotting condition and a sister who is plotting to kill their grandmother. Don’t expect a satisfying ending.

The common thread throughout is nameless women being haunted; many living with grief, familial complexities, and mental health issues. Some of these women live in fear, while others embrace the murk and ambiguity. I was in awe of the balance of detail and restraint in the storytelling, leaving me tense and questioning what was reality or not.

The opening story, My Sad Dead, is being adapted as a four episode horror-drama miniseries, directed by Pablo Lorrain, for Netflix. Set to be released this year, it’s one to watch, but perhaps in the daylight hours!

Book Chatter On your marks; get set, go! The Premier’s Reading Challenge commences 22 June and runs through 30 August. Aimed at school aged students, the Challenge encourages personal reading goals, embracing diverse formats. Print, digital, audio; fiction, non-fiction; poetry, prose, plays, graphic and picture books – it all counts! Resources for schools, families and students are available at www.decyp.tas.gov.au.

The Warm Winter Read is also on again, for anyone aged over 16. It’s a statewide reading challenge to inspire a cosy reading habit through June, July and August. Details on how to participate (and prizes to be won) are at www.libraries.tas.gov.au/warm-winter-read

And, Dark Mofo season brings a special treat for readers this year, with the opening of MONA’s new library Phrontisterion on Sunday 21 June, set to hold David Walsh’s rare collection of books, maps and more art!!

Keen to chat books with us?

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

Love this

Extras

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!