Readings.com.au: All posts

Wildlife by Fiona Wood

2013-05-23T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by

It’s the term of all terms for the year tens at Crowthorne Grammar as they embark on their school’s annual outdoor education camp, tucked away in the Victorian bush. As if it’s not enough to be surrounded by your classmates 24/7 and made to tackle the wilderness, Sibylla is also getting used to her newfound fame that stemmed from a perfume ad that she modelled for over the school holidays. Plus, there’s Ben Capaldi, and the kiss. Really, everything should be perfect, but as the term progresses and friendships and morals are questioned, Sibylla has to think about what and who is really important in her life.

Watching all this is Sibylla’s roommate Lou (from Fiona Wood’s first novel, Six Impossible Things). Lou is dealing with a death that has torn her apart, and she has decided to move to Crowthorne Grammar instead of going on exchange to France. Reserved and hiding in her own world, Lou finds herself slowly becoming more intrigued at the drama that is Sibylla’s life.

Wildlife is wonderful. Fiona Wood has once again created a quirky and intelligent novel for young adults, with characters that question friendships, learn that fitting in isn’t everything and tackle that scary thing called first love. Highly recommended for ages 14 and up.

Katherine Dretzke is a bookseller at Readings Hawthorn.

Lydia Davis wins the 2013 Man Booker International Prize for Fiction

2013-05-23T00:00:00Z

The fifth Man Booker International Prize for fiction has been awarded to an author who pens stories the length of a single sentence.

American author Lydia Davis was awarded the prize money of £60,000 for her body of work which consists largely of short fiction, some very short. Sir Christopher Ricks, chairman of the judges, said:

"[Her] writings fling their lithe arms wide to embrace many a kind. Just how to categorise them? They have been called stories but could equally be miniatures, anecdotes, essays, jokes, parables, fables, texts, aphorisms or even apophthegms, prayers or simply observations."

Also a novelist, essayist and translator, Davis is considered highly influential in the literature community, especially among some of America's new generation of novelists such as Jonathan Franzen, David Foster Wallace and Dave Eggers.

This prize is presented once every two years for 'achievement in fiction on the world stage' and previous winners are Ismail Kadare (Albania), Chinua Achebe (Nigeria), Alice Munro (Canada) and Philip Roth (America).

You can read more about the prize announcement on the Man Booker website.

Q&A with Clare Bowditch

2013-05-23T00:00:00Z

In anticipation of Clare's appearance at the Happiness and Its Causes Conference (Wed 19 - Thurs 20 June), we asked her a few questions about what happiness means for her.

You’ve previously said that Leonard Cohen ‘inspired you to choose a new path’. Would you be able to tell us more about this?

Really, it was just the pleasure of watching a master musician decades into his career and being at the absolute top of his game. Leonard’s whole life reminds us of the fact that if you keep at it, you just keep getting better.

He ALSO reminded me of what I know and always forget: as artists, we have the privilege and challenge of telling the truth in ways that help make sense of it, and we can come to this task not just with the ‘nice, shiny’ parts of ourselves, but with the whole of ourselves. In addition, he was just an all-round charmer.

How important is your life and work as a musician in relation to your personal happiness?

One of the reasons I love music and my work so much is because it allows me to attempt to transmute one thing into another thing, and perhaps grow to understand or even contribute to a bigger story, which is what life (or at the very least, my art practice) is about.

But it's not just music that allows this happiness, it's living a creative life in general, which means allowing room for playfulness. Whether it's mothering, making music, writing for theatre, or building Big Hearted Business (where we teach creativity and creative-business thinking to just about anyone who’s interested), I am happiest when I am working on things that I know mean something.

What is your advice for someone who is interested in exploring their creative side for reasons of happiness, as opposed to pursuing a professional career?

People who choose to explore their creativity often don't have clear boundaries between creativity/life/work/pleasure/pain/family etc. Exploring creativity is just about playing with what it is to be human, which may or may not involved a ‘career’, pencils, plants, guitars, etc. I'd suggest they just come visit www.bigheartedbusiness.com and listen to a few of the Inspiration Bombs; they will find some wisdom there. Also, just get on with it. Give it a crack. Who cares, you know? Have fun with it.

You are well-known for giving back to the community in a big way – through taking on roles as ambassadors, in philanthropy and more. Can you remember when you first became passionate about this?

In reality my contributions are minor and I know a whole lot of people who do a whole lot more than me. But I do remember when this passion first revealed itself though and it was for entirely selfish reasons, of course.

It was when I was 21, and suffering from acute and debilitating panic attacks, and I realised that one of the things that made me feel better was doing something useful for someone. This took my mind off my ‘small self’ (a storm of randomly firing cortisol and adrenalin and fear and terror) and plugged me back in to the larger frame of humanity where peace was actually a possibility.

On this note, panic attacks are really common and I try never to mention them without giving people a couple of resources and reminding them that they’re totally curable (no, really), so... there was a lovely old-fashioned book I read around that time by Dr Claire Weekes about panic attacks that was REALLY sweet (I think you guys ordered it in for me?).

Also, I'd recommend playing around with something creative that you like (anything really), and downloading the free Smiling Mind meditation app.

Your website says that you’ve begun developing a ‘mentoring program for big-hearted creative-entrepreneurial-types’. I’d love to hear how you envision this project is its final stage.

Me too! I'm writing it as we speak! It's bloody exciting! In terms of keeping you in the loop, come and join the mailing-list (www.bigheartedbusiness.com)

You can read more about the Happiness and Its Causes conference on their website.

Mark's Say: Australian Publishers Overseas

2013-05-22T00:00:00Z

Last month, we mentioned some interesting new fiction coming out later this year and I’ve been alerted to two other major titles to look forward to. Tasmanian author Richard Flanagan has a new novel in September, The Narrow Road to the Deep North, which borrows its title from the Japanese poet Basho’s seventeenth century travel memoir. It’s partially set in a Japanese labour camp in 1943.

Chris Womersley, author of the acclaimed Bereft also has a new novel due in September, Cairo. It centres around the theft, and return, of Picasso’s Weeping Woman from the National Gallery of Victoria. Chris’s publisher, Scribe, have recently also launched their UK imprint.

Scribe publisher Henry Rosenbloom has always had an interest in featuring international books on his lists (last year, for example, he acquired the National Book Award-winning Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo). When a slot came up at the Faber Factory Plus, a sales and distribution service in the UK for independent publishers, Henry jumped at the chance, although not without some trepidation. Scribe plan to publish a small list overseas. This will consist of their Australian releases, where appropriate, and they have also started acquiring rights to publish international titles in the UK, Europe and Australia.

At the recent London Book Fair, Scribe picked up UK and Australian rights to some major US titles. They included the New York Times bestseller, The Way of the Knife by Mark Mazzetti, which describes how the lines between the CIA and the American military have been blurred, and The Book of Woe by Gary Greenberg, a critical look at the psychiatrist’s bible, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). This comes out appropriately just after the release of the latest edition, the DSM-5, which has been ten years in the making. The DSM-5 has already been creating waves with its reclassification of Asperger’s syndrome as an autistic disorder, and is sure to cause further controversy.

Scribe are not the only Australian publisher to venture into international waters. Lonely Planet was the first successful organisation to become a truly international, Australian-based publisher. Trade publisher Hardie Grant have also had a UK presence for some years and have recently come to an arrangement with US publisher Rizzoli to move into that market. Sandy Grant, one of the principals of Hardie Grant, has extensive UK experience, having been CEO of Reed Publishing in the late 90s. Hardie Grant’s high quality illustrated books have found a niche in the UK. Scribe’s foray is different in that they will concentrate on serious non-fiction and some literary fiction. Perhaps some other publishers will follow – Text, maybe, as their new shareholders, Tony and Maureen Wheeler, maintain a base in London?

In any case I wish Scribe and our other Australian publishers well as they venture further abroad!

Mark Rubbo is the Managing Director of Readings

Kids' & YA May Round-Up

2013-05-22T00:00:00Z

Saints and sinners, unique characters and clones, giant brains and dinosaur-sized ones, too: it's all in this month's wonderfully varied round-up.

Earlier I received an impassioned email from fellow children's specialist, Athina Clarke, at the Malvern store: "You have to read Cry Blue Murder by Kim Kane and Marion Roberts: I need to talk to someone about it!"

And so this thriller about abducted schoolgirls creeps closer to the top of the T.B.R. pile.

Australian authors Kim Kane and Marion Roberts teamed up to write this chilling narrative, which takes the form of emails, police statements and poems.

In her review, Athina called it: "...an important cautionary and psychological tale that is highly recommended for ages 13 and up."

You can read about Kim and Marion's working relationship in their contribution to The Way We Work series.

For some of us oldie YA fans, a book set in the mid-90s is like reading about yesterday but it's with a sense of disbelief and mild terror that I have to admit that Paper Aeroplanes by Dawn O’Porter almost counts as historical fiction for our current wave of teens!

Dawn O'Porter has made a name for herself on television in the UK with her accessible documentaries about modern life. She's married to the actor Chris O'Dowd - hence the new O' in her name. One of her most notable documentaries is about breast cancer, which was particularly personal because her mother died of the disease when Dawn was only seven. These personal details might not usually be relevant except that Paper Aeroplanes is loosely based on the author's life.

I'm looking forward to reading The Originals by Cat Patrick because of its killer concept: Lizzie, Betsey and Ella are identical, born as part of an illegal cloning program. But they are forced into hiding when the program is uncovered and have to live as if they are one person instead of three in order to avoid detection. Imagine sharing your life with two identical-looking girls. (Actually, I can think of a few ways this might come in handy...)

Children's specialist Alexa Dretzke loved Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool so much that she suspects it will remain her favourite of this year.

From the author of Moon Over Manifest (which won the coveted Newbery Medal), it's a story set in the north-east of the US at the end of WW2 and features two unforgettable young characters in Jack, from Kansas, who is mourning the death of his mother, and his exceptionally clever companion Early Auden.

I'm so excited about the arrival of the second Truly Tan adventure by Melbourne writer Jen Storer: Jinxed!. Unfortunately, my nine year old daughter was equally excited and has run off with my reading copy. When she poked her nose out of the book all she said was "haunted tram" and "awesome". The first Truly Tan book was a huge hit over Christmas and it's just brilliant to have a funny, smart young detective solving mysteries in an Australian setting.

Children who are ready to move on from school readers will enjoy *My Happy Life by Rose Lagercrantz and Eva Eriksson. First published in Swedish, this book has now been translated - which often makes for a really different narrative feel and one that I enjoy. The story explores a girl's first year of school and injects a lot of positivity into children's anxieties, perfect for 5+ and with line drawings throughout.

Another treat for Junior Fiction readers is Saurus Street - I've read all four in the series to my 6 year old son and we've both thoroughly enjoyed them. The mix of boy and girl main characters is really pleasing, the sentences are kept short which is perfect for new readers and the narratives are fast and fun. Watch this trailer about the series:

In Meet Mary Mackillop by Sally Murphy and Sonia Martinez, Australia's first saint is the subject for this attractive new picture book series that provides an early introduction to some of the nation's extraordinary men and women (the striking Meet Ned Kelly was published earlier in the year).

For those looking for a picture book with longer text, perfect for bedtime stories for the slightly older child (4-8), I highly recommend Amy's Three Best Things, written by the absolute legend that is Phillipa Pearce (Tom's Midnight Garden) and illustrated by Helen Craig who gave us Angelina Ballerina.

With a new series by Artemis Fowl author Eoin Colfer (W.A.R.P.), a new picture book by Oliver Jeffers (It Wasn't Me) and a YA novel set in Melbourne written by someone who just happens to have exactly the same name as me Steal My Sunshine - it's another great and varied month for Children's and YA.

Emily Gale is a Children’s & YA Specialist at Readings Carlton, and a Children’s & YA writer the rest of the time. Her other title is 'Mum', or more accurately 'Muuuuuuuuum!'

Anthony R. Jansen Book Launch - Wednesday 26 June 2013 at 6:30pm

2013-05-21T00:00:00Z

Wednesday 26 June 2013 at 6:30pm

Readings Hawthorn: 701 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn, Victoria, 3122

Join us as Dr Linda McIver launches Severed Past, the debut novel by Anthony R. Jansen.

A car crash fourteen years ago. The result — amnesia. A terrible accident … or was it?

In his review of this modern thriller, John Morrow writes:

"What a page turner! Jansen leaves the reader hanging at the end of each chapter! This punchy, fast-moving story has been meticulously plotted to create a multi-layered story. This author is very adept at spinning the yarn until the very end – when all the jigsaw pieces fit together."

Free, no booking required.

Robin Jeffrey Book Launch - Wednesday 12 June 2013 at 6:30pm

2013-05-21T00:00:00Z

Wednesday 12 June 2013 at 6:30pm

Readings Carlton: 309 Lygon St, Carlton, Victoria, 3053

Join us for the launch of Robin Jeffrey’s The Great Indian Phone Book: How the Cheap Cell Phone Changes Business, Politics and Daily Life.

This is a multidimensional tale of what happens when a powerful and readily available technology is placed in the hands of a large, still predominantly poor population.

Free, no booking required.

World Environment Day - Wednesday 05 June 2013 at 6:30pm

2013-05-21T00:00:00Z

Wednesday 05 June 2013 at 6:30pm

Readings Carlton: 309 Lygon St, Carlton, Victoria, 3053

Join us at Readings Carlton on World Environment Day.

The Wilderness Society will announce the winner of the 2013 Environment Award for Children’s Literature, which honours books that promote caring and responsibility for the environment.

Children's author Alison Lester and National Director of the Wilderness Society Lyndon Schneiders will each speak on the day, alongside a musical performance from Echidna Lovetrain.

Previous winners include Alison Lester and Coral Tulloch (One Small Island), as well as Jackie French and Sue deGennaro (The Tomorrow Book).

Free, no booking required.

For more information on the event please click here.

Please share this event on Facebook.

Australian Impressionists in France - Wednesday 19 June 2013 at 6:30pm

2013-05-21T00:00:00Z

Wednesday 19 June 2013 at 6:30pm

Readings Hawthorn: 701 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn, Victoria, 3122

In celebration of the NGV’s latest exhibition, we are delighted to invite you to a special conversation with the curator of Australian art at the NGV and author of Australian Impressionists in France, Elena Taylor, and the assistant curator of Australian art, Humphrey Clegg.

They’ll look at the visual journeys of Australian artists who left for France in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Gold coin donation. Please book on 9819 1917 or at events@readings.com.au.

Brown Brothers Winter Poetry Festival - Thursday 27 June 2013 at 6:30pm

2013-05-21T00:00:00Z

Thursday 27 June 2013 at 6:30pm

Readings Carlton: 309 Lygon St, Carlton, Victoria, 3053

Our winter poetry festival continues and as the nights get colder, the verse gets warmer. This session features multi-award winning poet and critic Jill Jones, writer and artist A. Frances Johnson, and emerging poet Caroline Williamson.

Free, no booking required.

Nicole Hayes Book Launch - Thursday 06 June 2013 at 6:30pm

2013-05-21T00:00:00Z

Thursday 06 June 2013 at 6:30pm

Readings Hawthorn: 701 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn, Victoria, 3122

Join us for the launch of a very special young adult debut, The Whole of My World by Nicole Hayes.

Desperate to escape her grieving father and harbouring her own terrible secret, Shelley disappears into the intoxicating world of Aussie Rules football, joining a motley crew of footy tragics. Finally, things seem to be working out, if only she and her team can keep winning.

Free, no booking required.

Monique diMattina - Friday 14 June 2013 at 6:00pm

2013-05-21T00:00:00Z

Friday 14 June 2013 at 6:00pm

Readings Carlton: 309 Lygon St, Carlton, Victoria, 3053

Singer-songwriter and exquisite musical stylist Monique diMattina will perform from her brand new album Nola's Ark.

Nola's Ark was recorded in New Orleans with an all-star cast of musicians from the bands of Harry Connick Jr. and Dr John, and features songs that Monique wrote on her 3RRR song-in-an-hour segment as well as much-loved favourites.

Free, but please book on 9347 6633 or at events@readings.com.au.

Justin Clemens Book Launch - Wednesday 26 June 2013 at 6:30pm

2013-05-21T00:00:00Z

Wednesday 26 June 2013 at 6:30pm

Readings Carlton: 309 Lygon St, Carlton, Victoria, 3053

Join us for the launch of Justin Clemens’s Psychoanalysis is an Antiphilosophy.

Alain Badiou described psychoanalysis as an ‘antiphilosophy’ – a practice that offers the strongest possible challenges to thought. Now, Justin Clemens examines psychoanalysis under this rubric, examining the relationships of humans to drugs, animality and sexuality.

Free, no booking required.

Bach: Cello Suites, Wispelwey

2013-05-21T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by Kate Rockstrom

Creating a recording like this is the work of a lifetime and I love that Pieter Wispelwey has included a DVD where he talks about the scholarly ideas associated with the project. It doesn’t matter if you already have a recording of Bach’s Cello Suites, or indeed six different recordings. This is one worth having on the shelf simply because Wispelwey is such an accomplished musician.

Paul Fearne Book Launch - Thursday 13 June 2013 at 5:30pm

2013-05-21T00:00:00Z

Thursday 13 June 2013 at 5:30pm

Readings The Brain Centre: Kenneth Myer Building, 30 Royal Parade, Melbourne

Join us for the launch of A Schizophrenic to Strindberg: An Unanswered Letter, Paul Fearne’s epistolary novel addressed to the famous nineteenth-century playwright August Strindberg.

Free, no booking required.

Brother Johnstone Album Launch - Friday 28 June 2013 at 6:00pm

2013-05-21T00:00:00Z

Friday 28 June 2013 at 6:00pm

Readings St Kilda: 112 Acland St, St Kilda, Victoria, 3182

Join us as local band Brother Johnstone launch their brand new album, Ghost, a mesmerising soundscape of indie-folk hooks, laid-back grooves and acoustic rock, produced by the ARIA award-winning Chris Thompson.

Free, no booking required.

Through My Eyes: Shahana by Rosanne Hawke & Lyn White

2013-05-21T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by

This is the first title in a new Australian series that focuses on children living in conflict zones around the world. Thirteen year-old Shahana is responsible for her younger brother Tanveer, the rest of her family having died in terrible circumstances. They live near the Line of Control, the border that divides the Pakistani and Indian-controlled parts of Kashmir. When Shahana and Tanveer rescue a boy who has come from the other side, they bravely choose to help someone their own age who is also their enemy.

Roseanne Hawke has lived in Kashmir and her first-hand experience of the region shines through in this evocative book. This is a challenging story for young readers, given its exotic locale and terminology, but the brilliant writing means they will quickly become invested in the story.

It’s also an excellent educational resource, with background details from the author, a timeline and a glossary, all of which makes for a more immersive the reading experience.

Angela Crocombe is the Children’s Book Buyer at Readings St Kilda.

Talkin’ Graphic Novels - Thursday 20 June 2013 at 6:30pm

2013-05-21T00:00:00Z

Thursday 20 June 2013 at 6:30pm

Readings Carlton: 309 Lygon St, Carlton, Victoria, 3053

Join Bernard Caleo of Cardigan Comics, Dr Elizabeth MacFarlane of the University of Melbourne and graphic novelist Nicki Greenberg (of The Great Gatsby and Hamlet fame) as they discuss the power of the unwritten word, and the next wave in comics.

Gold coin donation. Please book on 9347 6633 or at events@readings.com.au.

Book of the Week: Big Brother by Lionel Shriver

2013-05-20T00:00:00Z

Lionel Shriver, best known for the Orange Prize-winning We Need to Talk About Kevin, has a new novel out this May. Big Brother is a story of siblings, marriage and obesity.

When Pandora picks up her older brother Edison at the airport, she doesn't recognize him. In the years since they've seen one another, the once slim, hip New York jazz pianist has gained hundreds of pounds. What happened?

Our reviewer Annie Condon says "at times the novel is an uncomfortable read, but this is a testimony to the quality of the writing and the compelling story".

Read Annie's full review of the novel here.

Big Brother is out now.

NSW Premier’s Literary Award Winners Announced

2013-05-20T00:00:00Z

The winners of the 2013 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards were announced last night at the State Library of NSW.

Carrie Tiffany won the prestigious New South Wales Premier's Literary Award for Fiction for her novel Mateship With Birds (which also recently won the Stella Prize!)

The Premier's Award for New Writing was presented to Michael Sala for his autobiographical novel, The Last Thread (which recently won the regional Commonwealth Book Prize!)

See below for a full list of winners:

Christina Stead Prize for Fiction
Mateship with Birds, Carrie Tiffany

UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing
The Last Thread, Michael Sala

Douglas Stewart Prize for Non‐Fiction
The Office: A Hardworking History, Gideon Haigh

Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry
Ruby Moonlight, Ali Cobby‐Eckermann

Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children’s Literature
The Ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon, Aaron Blabey

Ethel Turner Prize for Young People’s Literature
A Corner of White, Jaclyn Moriarty

Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting
The Damned, Reg Cribb

Betty Roland Prize for Scriptwriting
Dead Europe, Louise Fox

Community Relations Commission for a Multicultural NSW Award
Don’t Go Back to Where You Came From, Tim Soutphommasane

NSW Premier’s Translation Prize
Peter Boyle

Book of the Year
Ruby Moonlight, Ali Cobby‐Eckermann

People’s Choice
Animal People, Charlotte Wood

Special Award
David Ireland AM