Update (later the same day): The Elizabeth Jolley page is now live… find it in the menu above.
Fremantle Press Edition
The arrival of a lovely new Fremantle Press edition of The Newspaper of Claremont Street (in their Treasures Collection) is what’s triggered the idea of hosting an Elizabeth Jolley Week starting on what would have been her 95th birthday. The Week will run from 4/6/18 to 11/6/18.
Monica Elizabeth Jolley (1923-2007) was born in England on the fourth of June, 1923 but she migrated to Australia in 1959 with her husband Leonard Jolley, and it was in Australia that she began writing and became one of our best-loved authors. Her first book Five Acre Virgin and Other Stories (1976) was published in 1976 when she was 53, and she went on to write six collections of short stories, fifteen novels and three works of non-fiction.
I’ve read all her novels, but only three are reviewed here: Miss Peabody’s Inheritance (1983); The Sugar Mother (1988); and An Innocent Gentleman (2001). I’ve also read Brian Dibble’s biography, Doing Life which shows that Jolley led a very interesting life indeed. I am hoping that hosting Elizabeth Jolley Week will encourage other readers to revisit and review her works, or to discover her writing for the first time. The plan is to develop an Elizabeth Jolley page here, similar to the Christina Stead page which harvested all the reviews that grew out of Christina Stead Week in 2017.
Everybody’s time poor these days but the good thing about Jolley’s books is that she eschewed the chunkster and her novels are concise, though of course you can read her short stories too.
If you are interested and you think you’d like to join in, please comment below, and tell us what you’ve chosen to read if you’ve already decided.
Titles to choose from are:
Novels (all links below are to Wikipedia)
- Palomino (1980)
- The Newspaper of Claremont Street (1981)
- Miss Peabody’s Inheritance (1983)
- Mr Scobie’s Riddle (1983)
- Milk and Honey (1984)
- Foxybaby (1985)
- The Well (1986)
- The Sugar Mother (1988)
- My Father’s Moon (1989)
- Cabin Fever (1990)
- The Georges’ Wife (1993)
- The Orchard Thieves (1995)
- Lovesong (1997)
- An Accommodating Spouse (1999)
- An Innocent Gentleman (2001)
Short Stories
- Five Acre Virgin and Other Stories (1976)
- The Well-Bred Thief (1977)
- The Travelling Entertainer and Other Stories (1979)
- Woman in a Lampshade (1983)
- Off the Air: Nine Plays for Radio (1995)
- Fellow Passengers: Collected Stories of Elizabeth Jolley (1997)
Non-fiction
- Central Mischief: Elizabeth Jolley on Writing, Her Past and Herself (1992)
- Diary of a Weekend Farmer (1993)
- Learning to Dance: Elizabeth Jolley: Her Life and Work (2006)
*The image of Elizabeth Jolley is from Wikipedia where it appears to be available for Fair Use.
ANZ LitLovers LitBlog 
This is a very welcome idea, Lisa. I am not absolutely sure what you mean by joining in. I have never taken part in an online conversation. Do you want people to write some sort of review, comment, memoir to be published on your blog? I reviewed several of Elizabeth’s books, but am not sure I could find the reviews now.
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By: carmelbird on April 19, 2018
at 9:41 am
Hello Carmel, I could have guessed that you’d be an admirer!
You can join in any way you like: people write reviews on their own blogs or at Goodreads or Library Thing, but they also contribute brief thoughts about the books as comments. So you could join in with comments adding your expertise to my reviews and other people’s, but also if you could find links to your reviews online then I could add them to the Jolley page (when I’ve constructed it, that is).
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By: Lisa Hill on April 19, 2018
at 10:22 am
The digital files of my reviews have long since disappeared in the mists of dead computers, but in the copies of the books I have found the newspaper clippings of my reviews of The George’s Wife, Fellow Passengers, and Lovesong. I am thinking about what to do with these, and am tempted just to put them back into the books.
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By: carmelbird on April 19, 2018
at 11:09 am
I’ve just done a quick search and I think AustLit has a digital copy of the review you sent me. See https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C359064
Of course I can’t get into it because I’m not a registered user, and even if I were, there’s no point in me linking to it because my readers couldn’t see it.
But if you are so minded you could contact them and ask for a digital copy of it for your own files.
And you could load the scan you emailed to me as an image on your blog and then I could link to it. I’ve Googled but I can’t find your BirdsWords blog and I’ve just realised that I haven’t added it to my Authors’ Blogs (in the RH menu) – can you give me the URL and I’ll do that now?
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By: Lisa Hill on April 19, 2018
at 11:49 am
I’ll try to join in as there are a few books I’d love to have on my blog, including Central Mischief which I’ve had for years and years and haven’t read. Like you, I only have a couple of my blog. The middle of the year is going to be tricky for me but I’ll do my best even if in the end I just do ONE short story!
Newspaper is the book I often buy to give to people. I’ve probably given it to more people than any other book.
BTW You can subscribe to birdswords. Here is the site URL: https://carmelbird.wordpress.com
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By: whisperinggums on April 19, 2018
at 2:01 pm
That’s interesting about Newpaper! You will want to give the Fremantle edition from now on, gorgeous slightly smaller than usual hardback with a lovely silky bookmark ribbon!
Thanks for the link, I don’t know why I couldn’t find it with Google. I’ve added it to my author blogs blogroll so now I can’t lose it again!
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By: Lisa Hill on April 19, 2018
at 2:36 pm
Yes, I will … because in the past I’ve tended to grab copies willy-nilly when I’ve seen them to have on hand. I was always sorry when Fremantle lost writers like Jolley. They took the risk and then the biggies, like Penguin, got the gain. Still, it’s hard to blame authors as life is tough for them too.
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By: whisperinggums on April 19, 2018
at 4:08 pm
Yes, I understand why writers do it, but it does seem a bit disloyal…
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By: Lisa Hill on April 19, 2018
at 6:38 pm
PS Can you please let me have the URLs of the reviews you’ve already got on your blog. I haven’t finished setting up the Jolley page yet but I’d like to add those links to it if I may.
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By: Lisa Hill on April 19, 2018
at 2:38 pm
Sure, if you’d like them, here they are:
Diary of a weekend farmer: https://whisperinggums.com/2011/04/30/elizabeth-jolley-diary-of-a-weekend-farmer/
An innocent gentleman: https://whisperinggums.com/2016/12/18/elizabeth-jolley-an-innocent-gentleman-mini-review/
My father’s moon: https://whisperinggums.com/2009/07/17/elizabeth-jolley-my-fathers-moon/
Thanks for this. I’ll really enjoy seeing others as they appear. I also have a little My favourite writers post on her, but that’s probably not relevant to what you want.
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By: whisperinggums on April 19, 2018
at 4:15 pm
Thanks, Sue – actually, I think a personal tribute post would be lovely!
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By: Lisa Hill on April 19, 2018
at 6:37 pm
I’ll join. I’ve read Miss Peabody’s Inheritance (which I loved and is my fav, so far). Emma should read it.
Also: the Newspaper of C Street
The Sugar Mother.
Haven’t decided which one yet.
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By: Guy Savage on April 19, 2018
at 9:53 am
Wonderful! Thanks Guy:)
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By: Lisa Hill on April 19, 2018
at 10:23 am
I read The Boy Behind the Curtain by Tim Winton earlier this year and he talks about E Jolley in one of the chapters. He had her for a teacher in Western Australia and he speaks highly of her and what an influence she was on his own writing career.
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By: TravellinPenguin on April 19, 2018
at 10:14 am
Wouldn’t it have been fantastic to have had her as a teacher! What I always loved about her books was that she thought differently to everyone else, she had her own distinctive way of looking at the world and I’m sure that’s what she would have encouraged in her students.
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By: Lisa Hill on April 19, 2018
at 10:24 am
I’m happy to express my interest! I’ve reviewed Newspaper so I’ll say Doing Life which has sat in my TBR for too long. I wrote an essay on The Well for my degree but I think it is lost and own a couple of others. Also I have Jolley in D’Aeth’s Wheatbelt. So that gives me plenty of scope.
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By: wadholloway on April 19, 2018
at 11:08 am
Excellent. Am I right in thinking that it might have been your idea for me to do a Jolley Week?
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By: Lisa Hill on April 19, 2018
at 11:12 am
Yes I’m in. My phone just lost a whole longer answer and now demands that I log in.
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By: wadholloway on April 19, 2018
at 11:11 am
I hope you can remember your password!
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By: Lisa Hill on April 19, 2018
at 11:13 am
Here’s my post for Eliz Jolley week, based on Tony d’Aeth’s chapter on Jolley in his literary history of the WA Wheatbelt
and my earlier post
Thanks for letting me post early, I don’t have a Jolley with me but if I get home during the ‘week’ I’ll see if I can do another one.
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By: wadholloway on May 27, 2018
at 10:53 pm
Wow, thanks for this contribution Bill, I won’t reading your review of The Newspaper of Claremont Street because I’m still reading it myself, but I’ll add them both to the EJ page and will reblog the D’Aeth if that’s ok with you:)
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By: Lisa Hill on May 27, 2018
at 11:27 pm
No worries.
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By: wadholloway on May 28, 2018
at 6:41 am
Hi Lisa, what a great idea. I will join in and read Cabin Fever. I will look for links later this week.
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By: Meg on April 19, 2018
at 2:07 pm
Wonderful, that’s a great book, one of my favourites:)
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By: Lisa Hill on April 19, 2018
at 2:33 pm
Yes it is a great read: http://www.middlemiss.org/lit/authors/jolleye/cabinfever.html
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By: Meg on April 19, 2018
at 2:45 pm
I’ve just managed to get two very reasonably priced books from Abe.Miss Peabody’s Inheritance and The Sugar Mother. So I’m in!!
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By: BookerTalk on April 20, 2018
at 7:16 am
That’s great, two terrific choices:)
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By: Lisa Hill on April 20, 2018
at 12:01 pm
[…] of The Newspaper of Claremont Street, Lisa Hill at ANZ LitLovers LitBlog has decided to host an Elizabeth Jolley Week from the 4th-11th June, starting on what would have been her 95th birthday. Jolley was an […]
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By: Winding Up the Week #15 – Book Jotter on April 21, 2018
at 10:32 pm
This is me belatedly putting up my hand to say count me in. I’ve got a few Jolleys in my TBR. I loved ‘Mr Scobie’s Riddle’ when I read it a few years back and I was intrigued by ‘The Newspaper of Claremont Street’. Funnily enough, an American publisher contacted me after seeing those reviews (published circa 2011) to offer me a review copy of ‘Mrs Peabody’s Inheritance’ which they just republished. Shamefully, I still haven’t read it…
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By: kimbofo on April 25, 2018
at 6:17 am
That’s great, thanks, Kim:)
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By: Lisa Hill on April 25, 2018
at 9:44 am
[…] I’ve just taken delivery of two books by Elizabeth Jolley in time for a week focused on her work that Lisa at ANZLitLovers is hosting in June. I’ve bought Miss Peabody’s Inheritance and The Sugar Mother (the links take you to Lisa’s reviews). The Elizabeth Jolley page is here […]
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By: WWWednesday 2 May 2018 | BookerTalk on May 3, 2018
at 7:23 am
[…] ANZLitLovers Elizabeth Jolley Week June 4-11 2018 […]
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By: Elizabeth Jolley, Tony Hughes-d’Aeth | theaustralianlegend on May 27, 2018
at 10:46 pm
[…] kick off Elizabeth Jolley Week on the anniversary of her death on June 4th, I read a new Fremantle Press ‘Treasures […]
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By: The Newspaper of Claremont Street, by Elizabeth Jolley #BookReview | ANZ LitLovers LitBlog on June 4, 2018
at 11:17 am
I missed news of this until your review – for the first day of the event – popped into my feed, but I am thrilled. I’ve only read two of her novels but I just love them (and have reread as well).
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By: buriedinprint on June 6, 2018
at 6:11 am
Do you have reviews on your blog? If you give me the links, I can reblog them as part of EJ Week and also add them to the EJ page:)
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By: Lisa Hill on June 6, 2018
at 8:25 am
Hi Lisa, I have my review of My Father’s Moon ready. Sorry I don’t have a blog and I don’t have your email address. Will I post the review here?
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By: Meg on June 8, 2018
at 7:28 am
Absolutely. We could do it as a guest review! If you email it to me (find my email address where I hide it from spammers at the bottom of the RH menu in the Copyright notice) I will whip it into a post and voila! (Please provide the ISBN so that I can find the right cover image.) Thanks, Meg!
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By: Lisa Hill on June 8, 2018
at 11:31 am
[…] Read for Lisa’s (ANZLitLovers) Elizabeth Jolley Week. […]
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By: Elizabeth Jolley, The orchard thieves (#BookReview) | Whispering Gums on June 9, 2018
at 3:01 pm
Do I give my link for my review here? I think so, so here it is, at last!! I so wanted to do this book justice: https://whisperinggums.com/2018/06/09/elizabeth-jolley-the-orchard-thieves-bookreview/
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By: whisperinggums on June 9, 2018
at 3:03 pm
Thanks, Sue, I’ll will add it to the EJ page now:)
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By: Lisa Hill on June 11, 2018
at 2:58 pm
[…] Read for Lisa’s (ANZLitLovers) Elizabeth Jolley Week. […]
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By: Elizabeth Jolley, Poppy seed and sesame rings (#Review) | Whispering Gums on June 10, 2018
at 10:31 pm
And here’s the short story I promised: https://whisperinggums.com/2018/06/10/elizabeth-jolley-poppy-seed-and-sesame-rings-review/
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By: whisperinggums on June 10, 2018
at 10:51 pm
[…] pressed it into my hand and told me I would love it. I have only vague memories of it, so when Lisa at ANZLitLovers announced she was going to host an Elizabeth Jolley week, I knew this was the book I was going to read and […]
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By: ‘The Well’ by Elizabeth Jolley – Reading Matters on June 11, 2018
at 1:00 am
Hello… right at the wire… I’ve reviewed The Well here: https://readingmattersblog.com/2018/06/10/the-well-by-elizabeth-jolley/
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By: kimbofo on June 11, 2018
at 1:09 am
LOL You know me, Kim, I am very flexible about numbers and dates! Your contributions are welcome any time. BTW I have added your other Jolley reviews to the Elizabeth Jolley page as well. One way or another, I am hoping to have all of her novels reviewed eventually… it really is quite disconcerting to visit Goodreads and find that there’s not one review for some of her books!
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By: Lisa Hill on June 11, 2018
at 5:18 pm
[…] readers will know that in June I joined in Lisa’s (ANZLitLovers) Elizabeth Jolley Week by posting two reviews, one of which was for the novella Orchard thieves. In that post I mentioned […]
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By: Delicious descriptions: Elizabeth Jolley on the value of libraries | Whispering Gums on July 15, 2018
at 10:00 am