Being out of print is like moving back in with your parents – it’s not usually a sign that things are on the up. But fortune’s wheel turns with scant regard for merit or effort, so it must be a relief for writers when their publishers decide to ‘celebrate their continuing contribution to Australian literature’ with a re-release of their back catalogue.

Kate Grenville has made a continuing contribution to Australian literature worth celebrating. Her work has been consistently revealing, interesting and entertaining. She has won the Australian/Vogel, the Victorian Premier’s and the Orange Prizes, and her six works of fiction have been widely praised. Grenville has also encouraged unpublished writers with her three non-fiction titles, which offer insight, strategies and advice on the art of writing.