Jane Sullivan (The Age) writes of Eltham's New Voices Festival last week:

"The most disturbing moments came from Yugoslavian-born Olivera Simic, author of a political memoir, Surviving Peace, about life in the Balkans after civil war. In communities still in denial of atrocities from their own side, she was seen as a traitor. Her father had told her she had to stop writing: "It's almost impossible to talk about crimes committed in your own name, and it's very dangerous."

Catch up with our authors at next month's writers festivals

Susan Hawthorne will be reading from her recent book of poetry Lupa and Lamb
at the Bendigo Writers Festival.

Emma Ashmere author of The Floating Garden at Byron Bay Writers Festival

Hoa Pham author of Wave at the Melbourne Writers Festival

Francesca Rendle-Short author of Bite Your Tongue at the Melbourne Writers Festival