Timepieces

'There used to be a tradition that when a cabinet-maker finished his apprenticeship, he'd make a miniature chest, or cabinet, as a gift for his master... Unlike cabinet-makers, writers rarely have a single teacher, and when they bow to those they've learned from, it'd be no tribute to make a perfect example of their work, even if it were possible.'

The desire to write. The art of memoir. Finding a place to write. First love. The Englishness problem. A love of art. Fiction today...

With her customary elegance and deftness, Drusilla Modjeska explores these issues and more in a liberating new collection of essays. Some have been previously published, most are new; but all offer a fresh and personal perspective on writing and life by one of Australia's most popular authors.

About the Author

Drusilla Modjeska was born in England but has lived in Sydney, Australia since 1971. Her books include Exiles at Home (1981), Banjo and NSW Premier's Award winning Poppy (1990), Sisters (1993), which she co-edited, the Nita B. Kibble, NSW Premier's Award and Australian Bookseller's Book of the Year Award winner The Orchard (1995) and Secrets (1998) with Robert Dessaix and Amanda Lohrey.

In 1999 Picador published one of the most anticipated books of that year, Stravinsky's Lunch. This exhilarating work addressing the dilemma of love and art won the 1999 NSW Premier's Prize for Non-fiction, the Nita B. Kibble Award and the Bookseller's Choice Award.