A little peace
for all of us x
I have four different drafts of this last post for 2024. Started in snatches of time over the last month or so, mostly I’d decided I wouldn’t even send it - your inboxes like mine are no doubt heaving with similar missives and last-chance-must-buy screeching - but this morning I read Maggie Mackeller’s perfect and simple last post for the year and I thought - yes.
Yesterday, in the heaving humid chaos of an indoor pool centre, after an attempted editing session in the cafe and the negotiation of five tweens in waterslide queues - I finally decided just to sit. I put my phone away and watched the damp and wonderful chaos of hundreds of humans diving and splashing and dunking. The artful way even young kids have learned to look away when the poor young lifeguard throws them a ‘not that, not there’ warning. The families perched around tables with pre-packed tubs of snacks, totally set up for a whole long day of watery fun. The nervously flirting teens, the grandmas with toddlers, the joyful array of different bodies doing all the things.
I’m more of an isolated bit of coast/feet in the sand/body in saltwater kind of a gal, but yesterday the joy of an overcrowded indoor water park really did it for me. On the way home, the chlorinated kids and I rocked out very loudly to songs we used to sing together and it was…enough.
Mostly there is never enough in December: not enough time, enough money, enough energy, enough brain capacity, enough room on the list, enough bandwith for the multitude of complex logistical and emotional stuff that can come up at this time of year. So, gee, it felt good to quietly take a moment to think: the kids are okay, I’m okay, we’ve got this.
Should you need it (cos people pleaser’s often do): here’s your permission to say this is enough - today, this week, this festive season. Buy the pre-made salad. Stop with the thinking you need to do just one more run to the shops. Put the five (or fifty) outstanding things on your work list to 2025 (let’s face it, most of them are way less urgent than they feel right now). Decline the invitation.
Maybe this year has been a shitstorm for you (like it has for so much of the world). Maybe it’s been ace. Probably it’s been a bit of both. Give yourself a moment (with a mince pie if that’s your thing) to take stock of what you’ve done, what you’ve made space for, what you haven’t. Congratulate yourself on the wins (whether they are ones you could write home about or the fact you got a school lunch packed most days). Take a second to grieve for the things you need to.
I found the cafe napkin where my writing coven and I scribbled down one writing goal each for the year. Mine said ‘Write the novel by Nov 15’. Did I get it done on that date? No. Did I get it done? I bloody well did. So here’s to that. And here’s to the big and the little things you got done this year. Well done. You’ve got this. And you’ve got the next year and all its things, too.
Enough, now.
What I’ve been…
The thought of creating any ‘best of’ lists fills me with dread (even though I did join a bunch of writers in giving one to Jason Steger at The Age because he asked so nicely). There’s too many books, and humans, and moments and I’ll leave something out and then I’ll have the 3am anxiety spiral so I’m just pretending it’s like any other newsletter and giving you the latest things I enjoyed.
Reading
The Season by Helen Garner. Read it. Buy it for the HG loving or footy-loving or grandparenting person on your list. Precious, precious memory of this year is captured below - making Garner giggle at the wonderful Literary Listings Lunch. Life goals.
The Dream - Iain Ryan. Splendidly gritty 80s Gold Coast crime novel by a Melbourne writer I rate highly. As I said on insta: Made me sick. In a good way. This fast-paced tale of corruption and sleaze is a follow on from his excellent The Strip but also stands alone.
By Her Hand - Marion Taffe. Had a sneak peek at an extraordinary debut. You’ll have to wait until March but definitely add to your list if you are a fan of Pip Williams or Emily Maguire’s Rapture.
Listening to
The Rest is Entertainment podcast. My go-to these days for smart and funny. Come for the banter between Marina Hyde and Richard Osman, stay for the a-ha moments, the book-shelf arranging controversy and the lingering feeling of disquiet when you discover the Love Actually is the preferred Christmas movie of Tory voters.
Watching
Where’s Wanda S1 (Apple TV) Recommended as a follow up by David Astle when I told him how much my 13yo and I loved Only Murders in the Building. Very smart, very funny, very excellent German murder mystery series. Watched with dubbing and was fine. (And yes you do recognise the actor Heike Makatsch, she’s the secretary in Love Actually). We are desperate for S2.
Bad Sisters S2 (Apple TV) Yes, agreed it’s not hitting like S1, but still enjoying the Garvey sisters and every single thing Sharon Horgan does. Also, would stay just for the Rube Goldberg opening sequence.
How to Make Gravy (Binge) Watched with the kids. We all bawled. For fans of the song, this delivers. Hugo Weaving is reason enough to watch. Not getting rave reviews, BUT, considering some of the absolute Christmas Movie drivel available - this one is Australian, it’s doing something interesting and it gives the feels.
Doing for feel good Christmas
The Red Heart Campaign - there have now been 98 women killed by violence in Australia this year. Sherele Moody documents these deaths and holds Australian media outlets to account in their reporting. Support her work by following her instagram account , donating or shopping at The Red Heart Campaign. 100% of profits go to supporting the work of Australian Femicide Watch.
Stop Killing Women t-shirt via The Red Heart Campaign. Donate to Djirra - we missed the cut off to donate a hamper so we made a donation to this excellent organisation providing support to Aboriginal women and families impacted by violence.
Donate to support Palestinian Relief - we are choosing to donate regularly through Medecins Sans Frontier Emergency Gaza-Israel Relief Fund. There are many many places you can put your money, if you can. Support the Summer Reading for MPs campaign by purchasing the pack from Readings or the books from your local indie bookstore.
And a thank you.
You might be here because you’ve read one of my books or heard me speak or follow me on instagram or because you’re a family member and you feel like you have to or because substack told you to. Whatever your motivation THANK YOU for being here. For those of you who forked out for a paid subscription, THANK YOU. I’ve still got those paused until 2025 gives me more of a sense of what it has in store for me, but I’m grateful to you all for your attention and presence and clicks.
I was totally thrilled to find To Stir With Love included on the Children’s Fiction Longlist for the 2025 Indies Book Awards voted by Independent booksellers.
What a total joy for Jess Racklyeft and I to have our collaboration included among such terrific books! THANK YOU to all the booksellers, readers, teachers and librarians who have so thoroughly got behind our book. We hope there is much stirring with love happening this festive season! I’ve opened up a month of Book Week bookings in August 2025 if you’re keen for a school visit - get in touch with Booked Out.
My amazing friend and wing woman Jill of Literary Listings tells me I’ve attended 18 writers festivals in 2024 and visited 69 bookshops and done 20 events celebrating To Stir With Love. Phew. I’ve also had the great joy and honour of launching a bunch of excellent books, chatting with a feast of amazing writers on stages and off and being thoroughly supported by my bookish community. So hugely grateful for this writing life and all it brings.
And finally - a little giveaway for the season. If and when I click over to 5k followers on insta I’m sending out a signed book pack. If you’re inclined, jump on the post and tag a mate and we’ll see how long it takes to get there!
Okay, that really is enough. I’ll be back in February. Enormous love to you and yours for the festive season and hope there is peace, rejuvenation and a little salt water to bring in the new year for you.
K x
Gorgeous post, gorgeous woman. And any year that has Garner dissolving in giggles is a clear win. More than enough xx 😘
Love to you, Kate Mildenhall, and thank you for that. Enough, now. xx