THE LITERARY STYLE OF BRI LEE’S EGGSHELL SKULL  AND ITS DISTINCTIVE FEATURES

Andrii Kozachuk; Diana Skakun

doi:10.23856/7004

Andrii Kozachuk Borys Grinchenko Kyiv Metropolitan University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5508-3152
Diana Skakun Borys Grinchenko Kyiv Metropolitan University https://orcid.org/0009-0007-2525-8875

Keywords: Australian literature, colloquialisms, idioms, idiostyle, legal terminology, vulgarisms

Abstract

The paper explores the distinctive features of author’s idiostyle in Eggshell Skull, a non-fictional memoir by Bri Lee, a contemporary Australian author and lawyer. Despite a growing global interest in Anglophone literature, Australian literary non-fictional texts (particularly memoirs) lack wide representation in linguistic studies. This research aims to identify and classify the key linguistic means in Lee’s debut work that contribute to her unique idiostyle.The methodological framework of the conducted research is based on exhaustive sampling, semantic and pragmatic analysis, classification, and computational methods. Lexical units in the sample were categorized into five primary groups: legal terminology (27.57%), colloquialisms (31.35%), vulgarisms (6.49%), idioms (14.05%), and proper names (20.54%). The analysis demonstrates that Bri Lee's idiostyle is deeply rooted in her professional legal background and personal experiences. The frequent use of domain-specific vocabulary and culture-specific proper names enhances local coloring, while colloquialisms and idioms contribute to narrative accessibility.Eggshell Skull emerges as a vivid and multifaceted text that reflects the author's linguistic individuality. This study underscores the perspective for broader idiostylistic inquiry into Lee’s complete oeuvre, offering insights into the interplay between language, identity, and genre in contemporary Australian memoir writing.

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