Bone Memories longlisted for a 2023 Davitt Award

Sally Piper

18 July 2023

BONE MEMORIES has been longlisted for a Sisters in Crime 2023 Davitt Award in the Adult Novel category.

Now in its 23rd year, the Davitt Awards celebrate Australian female crime writers. The shortlist will be announced in late July. To see all those titles longlisted across the four categories of the awards visit the Sisters in Crime website.

Sally Piper on Instagram

Final stop on my regional NSW book tour is in beautiful Bathurst with its wide streets, many trees and Mount Panorama, home to the Bathurst 1000. Huge thanks to Tori @bathurstlibrary for leading such a thoughtful conversation about PEOPLE LIKE US last night, to the audience for their fabulous questions and a special shout-out to Sam, bookseller extraordinaire from @booksplusbathurst. And now, I’m set up and ready to present my Nature Writing masterclass today. Love our libraries and all they enable for their communities. 📚♥️ @uqpbooks #peoplelikeusnovel #booktour #roadtrip

It’s been a beautiful day in Wagga Wagga. After starting the day with a fun chat with Sally Bryant on ABC Riverina, we set off along the Wiradjuri Walking Track beside the graceful Murrumbidgee River, past the Wagga Beach, more duck families, stunning bottlebrush bushes thick with bees and returning via the Marrambidya Wetlands and the stunning artwork of Wiradjuri Elder Aunty Kath Withers. And this evening I’m back at @waggalibrary where I’ll be sitting down with David Gilbey to chat about PEOPLE LIKE US. Perfect day👌 @uqpbooks #peoplelikeusnovel #booktour #roadtrip

On the road again after a fabulous weekend in Bright with dear friends. After crossing the mighty Murray River into NSW once more we made a short detour into Albury to visit the good people at Booktique Bookshop to sign copies of PEOPLE LIKE US. A big shout out to Michelle for the welcoming smile and great chat. We’ve arrived in Wagga Wagga now on Wiradjuri Country where I’ll be presenting my Nature Writing Masterclass at Wagga Library this evening. Tomorrow morning at 9:10am I’ll be having a quick chat with the good folk on ABC Riverina, and in the evening I’m very excited to be sitting down with David Gilbey, President of Booranga Writer’s Centre, back at Wagga Library where we’ll be in-conversation about PEOPLE LIKE US. Thrilled to have the opportunity to visit this beautiful town. @uqpbooks @booktique_albury @waggalibrary @debidogirubi @booranga #peoplelikeusnovel #booktour #roadtrip

Beautiful Bright on the Ovens River in Victoria and its many duck families. 🦆💙

It’s not often I see all four of the girls together in a bookshop, but a huge thanks to @qbdbooks in Dubbo for bringing them all together for me to sign. And a big shoutout to Claudia for the very friendly welcome. #loveourbookshops @uqpbooks #peoplelikeusnovel #booktour #roadtrip

Farewelled beautiful Tamworth this morning after a wonderful conversation yesterday @tamworthcitylibrary with the superstar interviewer @kristyreading, ABC New England North West Breakfast show presenter, about PEOPLE LIKE US. Special thanks to Jonathan Stilts for pulling the many threads together for this event and for the set up and spread of delicious food for my Nature Writing Masterclass afterwards. Top notch in every detail👌 And it was a real joy to meet and chat with such an avid community of readers and writers. Thanks to everyone who came along. @uqpbooks #peoplelikeusnovel #roadtrip #booktour

Huge thanks to Naomi Radford and the good people of Narrabri for the warm welcome to Narrabri Library on the first stop of my NSW tour to talk about PEOPLE LIKE US and to present my nature writing masterclass. It’s been a long time since @pipes001 and I have been through the regional towns in this area, so it was wonderful to have the chance to visit the big sky and wide plains of this beautiful area once again. Next stop…Tamworth! Bookings for any of my events can be made through the link in my bio. @uqpbooks #peoplelikeusnovel #roadtrip #booktour

Happy LOVE YOUR BOOKSHOP DAY ON Day 2 @briswritersfest. First up a panel titled It’s the End of the World & They Know It starring @catherinechidgey (THE STARVING BRIDE), @_elainecastillo (MODERATION), @writesfiona (KILL YOUR BOOMERS) and @jessyzwu (GOOD INTENTIONS). Such diverse books, but an illuminating conversation. Followed this up with a panel I was excited for and it didn’t disappoint: The Art of the Essay with Andrew O’Hagan (ON FRIENDSHIPS), Melissa Lucashenko (NOT QUITE WHITE IN THE HEAD), Cameron Hurst (EXCLUSIVE! DISPATCHES FROM THE PARIS END) and Elaine Castillo (HOW TO READ NOW), a conversation skillfully curated by Carody Culver, that confirmed the essay is not even close to dead (as some might claim), certainly for me. A day made complete with a birthday celebratory wine (or two) with @dranitaheiss and a 2027 @bigissueaustralia calendar purchase. An all round glorious day @bris_powerhouse.

The first 24 hours of @briswritersfest at the @bris_powerhouse has passed in a whirl of books, conversations, awards and meeting new writing friends and catching up with old ones. Kicked it all off with the @qldliteraryawards on Thursday night, then three panels yesterday, starting with Charlotte Wood in conversation with Damian Wilkins (DELIRIOUS), which took my thinking about writing dialogue to a whole new level. Followed this up with Carody Culver moderating a panel titled This Writing Life where she was in conversation with The New Yorker journalist Susan Orlean (JOYRIDE), Charlotte Wood (THE WRITER’S ROOM) and Andrew Pippos (THE TRANSFORMATIONS). Next up was Frances Whiting in conversation with Suzi Miller (INTER ALIA and PRIMA FACIE), which was a conversation that I wish the social media algorithms would force our young men to instead of the toxic content it currently does. The final event for the day was my panel, titled Societal Disconnect. And what a great joy and honour it was to share it with @thisisbrooked (NO ONE’S LOOKING) Michael Mohammed Ahmed (BUGGERED) and @kjohnsonauthor (EVERY WILD SOUL), each of us taken very ably through ideas about connection, disconnection and reinvention by the master of panel moderation @ashleyhay7. What a day! Loved it all! @uqpbooks #peoplelikeusnovel #brisbanewritersfestival

Saturday 10 October…mark the date in your diaries! This is always a fun day with many bookshops putting on special events, hosting stalls and offering giveaways, all in the name of celebrating books, reading and community. #lybd2026