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Jane Rawson Jane Rawson i(A117532 works by)
Also writes as: J. B. Rawson
Gender: Female
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Works By

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1 5 y separately published work icon A History of Dreams Jane Rawson , Sydney : Brio Books , 2022 24067308 2022 single work novel fantasy

'In 1930s Adelaide, four women turn to witchcraft to undermine a new authoritarian government determined to enforce their marriage and virtual enslavement.

'In the 1930s in Adelaide, sisters Margaret and Esther Beasley and their friend Phyllis O’Donnell are learning to be witches. Their guide is Audrey Macquarie, a glamorous, Communist schoolmate who was taught the art of changing dreams by her suffragette great-aunt, Delia Maddingley. This subtle magic, known only to spinsters, has been passed from aunt to niece for generations. Now this group of young women are using it to power their own small revolution, undermining a system that wants them married, uneducated and at home.

'As Europe begins falling to fascism, these women – the Semaphore Supper Club – stumble on a nest of Nazi sympathisers in the poetry salons of Adelaide. The poets’ political connections help them rise in power, until the Club finds they aren’t just fighting chauvinist writers but have taken on Australia’s new authoritarian government. As the government discovers it too can harness dreams, Margaret, Esther, Phyl and Audrey face an overwhelming force they cannot defeat. Each of them must decide whether – and how – to continue the struggle in the face of almost certain failure.

'The History of Dreams explores female friendship, the power of finding a vocation, and the importance of joy in a time of political darkness. It asks what our responsibilities are when faced with an unjust government, particularly when we have the privilege to look the other way.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

1 Reading Crises, Writing Crisis Rose Michael , Jane Rawson , 2021 single work criticism
— Appears in: Reading Like an Australian Writer 2021;
1 y separately published work icon Breathing Space Jane Rawson (editor), Ben Walter (editor), Tasmania : Tasmanian Land Conservancy , 2021 25742143 2021 anthology poetry essay short story

'Breathing Space is a book of essays, poems and stories about Tasmanians' changing relationship with nature, commissioned to mark the TLC's [Tasmanian Land Conservancy] 20th birthday.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

1 Don't Blink Jane Rawson , 2020 single work essay
— Appears in: Fire Flood Plague : Australian Writers Respond to 2020 2020;
1 But How Are We Supposed to Have Any Fun? Jane Rawson , 2020 single work essay
— Appears in: Living with the Anthropocene 2020;
1 Who Belongs Here? Jane Rawson , 2020 single work essay
— Appears in: Meanjin , Summer vol. 79 no. 4 2020;

'Nature in Australia is a mess. There’s no need to go into details. You’ve seen it: the thousands of dead fish in drying rivers, three billion animals killed or displaced by bushfire, environmental legislation that privileges developers over endangered species. Up against all this are conservationists—scientists and activists slogging away in a losing battle to explain the size of the problem, to get laws changed, to stop a tree being felled or a mine being opened, to pluck species from the brink of destruction with monitoring and intervention.' (Introduction)

1 Where Can You Be Safe in This World? Maybe We're Asking the Wrong Question Jane Rawson , 2020 single work essay
— Appears in: The Guardian Australia , 12 August 2020;

'The overarching project of my life has been making myself safe. But what is the point if everyone else is drowning and burning and starving?' 

1 Just Award the Vogel’s Already Jane Rawson , 2019 single work column
— Appears in: Overland [Online] , May 2019;

'In 2019, there will be no Vogel’s literary award. None of the manuscripts – the prize’s press release suggests – were up to scratch: ‘the judges’ decision speaks to their respect for the award and their desire to maintain the excellent standards of previous winning manuscripts.’ In other words: we’d be embarrassed to publish any of the submissions.' (Introduction)

1 Kangaroo Jane Rawson , 2019 single work short story
— Appears in: Kill Your Darlings [Online] , April 2019;
1 Elegy and Warning Jane Rawson , 2019 single work review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , April no. 410 2019; (p. 43)

'Unusually for literary fiction, Alice Robinson’s The Glad Shoutopens right in the thick of the action:

Jostled and soaked, copping an elbow to her ribs, smelling wet wool and sweat and the stony creek scent of damp concrete, Isobel grips Shaun’s cold fingers and clamps Matilda to her hip, terrified of losing them in the roiling crowd.

'Isobel and her family are escaping a terrible flood that has destroyed Melbourne. Holed up in a stadium – perhaps the MCG – Isobel has no idea what is left of her beachside home or whether there are any plans for anyone to help her or the hundreds of other evacuees now trying to survive amid the bleachers.'  (Introduction)

1 Sydney, Another 2015 Jane Rawson , 2018 single work prose
— Appears in: Meanjin Online 2018;
1 The Invisible Extinctions Jane Rawson , 2018 single work essay
— Appears in: Meanjin , Spring vol. 77 no. 3 2018; (p. 54)

'For three years I edited the environment pages of the Conversation website. I published article after article about extinction, bee-colony collapse, the last tortoise of its kind, the last rhinoceros of its kind. I thought I knew how badly things were going for animals. I had no idea.' (Introduction)

1 1 One Plot, at Most Jane Rawson , 2018 single work essay
— Appears in: Overland , Autumn no. 230 2018; (p. 72-77)

'The other day I was trying to write a short story. While procrastinating, I googled ‘How to write a short story?’ The search yielded 1.75 million results, the first being ‘How to write an amazing short story’. This article’s number-one tip was to ‘know what a short story is’, and the author even provided a helpful definition: a short story is just like a story, but short. It shouldn’t be a novel, the article advised, and it should have limited characters. (I assume numerically, but perhaps psychologically. Then I tried to think of a story that had unlimited characters. Vasily Grossman’s Life and Fate came close, but not quite. I concluded that on this basis, all stories are short stories.) ‘Keep it to 3000 words’ was another suggestion.'  (Introduction)

1 The Right Side of History Jane Rawson , 2017 single work short story
— Appears in: Ecopunk! Speculative Tales of Radical Futures 2017; (p. 39-46)

In an interview with publisher Ticonderoga, Rawson noted:

"The right side of history" is set in a future Australia, where the world has decided to concentrate human habitat to leave a bit more space for other species. Humans can choose between moving to a super-high-density, well-designed urban area, or having their mind transferred into the body of a native species. This story is about a long-married couple who come to realise they have very different ideas about how best to help the planet.

Source: http://ticonderogapublications.com/web/index.php/our-books/195-ecopunk/422-ecopunk-a-minterview-with-jane-rawson (Sighted: 10/01/2018)

1 Amy's Twin Jane Rawson , 2017 single work short story
— Appears in: Review of Australian Fiction , vol. 23 no. 1 2017;
1 One Short Mile from Land Jane Rawson , 2017 single work short story
— Appears in: Griffith Review , no. 55 2017; (p. 243-248)
He felt it first when the horses shifted and cried. They had been muttering among themselves all day, but this was different, a note of panic in it. The horses aren't yours to care about, George, he reminded himself. He went from cabin to cabin and collected the crockery and cutlery smeared and encrusted with an early dinner, the passengers getting ready for bed...' (Publication abstract)
1 11 y separately published work icon From the Wreck Jane Rawson , Yarraville : Transit Lounge , 2017 10409268 2017 single work novel science fiction

'From the Wreck tells the remarkable story of George Hills, who survived the sinking of the steamship Admella off the South Australian coast in 1859. Haunted by his memories and the disappearance of a fellow survivor, George’s fractured life is intertwined with that of a woman from another dimension, seeking refuge on Earth. This is a novel imbued with beauty and feeling, filled both with existential loneliness and a deep awareness that all life is interdependent.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

1 y separately published work icon Kanganoulipo Ryan O'Neill , Julie Koh , Tom Cho , Eric Dando , Dave Drayton , Patrick Lenton , Nicolas Low , Jeffrey D. Phillips , Jane Rawson , Robert Skinner , Elizabeth Tan , William Yeoman , Australia : 2016-2017 24908180 2016 website prose The website of an experimental writing showcase.
1 The Unwild World Jane Rawson , 2016 single work short story
— Appears in: Seizure [Online] , December 2016;
1 Lake Jane Rawson , 2016 single work short story
— Appears in: Review of Australian Fiction , vol. 19 no. 2 2016;
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