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Who’s Afraid of Gina Rinehart? - Wednesday 14 March 2012 at 6:30pm

2012-02-09T00:00:00Z

Wednesday 14 March 2012 at 6:30pm

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

Should we be afraid of Gina Rinehart? Or would Fairfax benefit from a strong proprietor after years of drift? What, if anything, does this mean for the future of independent journalism in Australia? Join Margaret Simons, Stephen Mayne and Tim Wilson to chew over the issues.

Presented by the Centre for Advanced Journalism in partnership with Readings Australia’s richest woman, Gina Rinehart, has taken a stake in Fairfax Media, publisher of The Age, the Sydney Morning Herald and the Australian Financial Review. Rinehart has made no secret of her political views, and many assume she is interested in media ownership because of the power and influence it brings.

Stephen Mayne is a Walkley Award-winning journalist, shareholder activist and the founder of Crikey. He is now a member of the Australian Shareholders' Association board, and he publishes the online Mayne report.

Tim Wilson is Director of Climate Change Policy and the IP and Free Trade Unit. The Australian recognised him as one of the ten emerging leaders of Australian society and he regularly appears on Australian and international television, radio and in the print media.

Margaret Simons is Director of the Centre for Advanced Journalism at Melbourne University. She is an award-winning freelance journalist and the author of ten books and numerous essays and articles. She also writes for The Age, the Sydney Morning Herald, Griffith Review, The Monthly and other publications.

This is the first event in the New News program, a series of events about the future of journalism. It will explore how to make the most of the opportunities -- and deal with the challenges -- of new media. It is about journalism as an act of engaged citizenship.

All welcome.

More about New News…

 New News is not an industry talkfest, nor an academic conference. It is an ongoing series of conversations, designed to provide our community with occasions to talk about journalism, why it matters and how to do it better.

 Presented by the Centre for Advanced Journalism in partnership with leading industry organisations, New News events will include big keynotes, but also casual meet-ups. Sometimes we will move fast, to provide a chance to talk about the issues of the day as they happen. Other times, we’ll spotlight broader topics, including during the Melbourne Writers Festival later this year.

Our events will be engaging, optimistic and creative. They will reach out to all citizens who are concerned about the future of journalism. For more info, visit www.caj.unimelb.edu.au

Classical Artists Visiting in 2012

2012-02-09T00:00:00Z

For a country so far away from the delights of European and American Classical Music, we sure do get a lot of high quality visiting artists. I’ve tried to pick the eyes out of who’s coming down to Melbourne in 2012 with good recordings to back them up and tempt you into the concert halls.

First up in March Richard Tognetti and the Australian Chamber Orchestra will be bringing out the acclaimed Hilliard Ensemble. Seriously, if you’ve not heard their amazing albums, Officium and Officium Novum, you’re missing out. See them at the Town Hall on March 18 or 19.

Olli Mustonen’s concerts of Beethoven Concertos were well received last year and with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra he will be performing Beethoven Concerto No. 1 & 5 . Have listen to him performing the Concerto No. 5 with the Tapiola Symphony Orchestra while waiting for April to come round.

Also at the Melbourne Recital Centre we’ve got the Trio Dali visiting us as part of the Musica Viva International Concert Season. In the meantime their Schubert Piano Trio recording is sublime.

The merry month of May is when Opera Australia takes to the stage. Now a lot of their key performers are homegrown, but I still think they’re well worth mentioning. We’ve got Rosario La Spina performing in Puccini’s Turandot (catch him on his solo album Rosario) and the ever favourite, David Hobson (above) in Lehar’s The Merry Widow. Hobson has got an album list as long as your arm. Pick up any to be assured of good quality singing and lots of fun. My favourite is You’ll Never Walk Alone, duets with Teddy Tahu Rhodes.

The Takacs Quartet (above) are returning again to Melbourne in June while Paul Lewis will delight us in September. The Takacs have recorded all your standard quartets, most recent though is the Haydn String Quartets Op 74 on Hyperion. While Paul Lewis is most well known for his Beethoven interpretations, don’t miss his Schubert recordings available on Harmonia Mundi.

November is when it starts to heat up and musicians from the northern hemisphere try to escape south for the winter.

Anthony Marwood visits both the Melbourne Recital Centre as the final concert in Musica Viva’s International Concert Season and the Australian National Academy of Music to conduct their Orchestra. You can find him on all sorts of recordings and I’m a big fan of his album with Thomas Ades of Stravinsky’s Complete Works for Violin and Piano.

Back in the world of opera, Emma Matthews takes the title role in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor but if you can’t wait until November, catch her with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in June performing the glorious solo part in Mahler Symphony No. 4. Don’t miss her solo album ‘Emma Matthews in Monte Carlo’ for an operatic selection that won't disappoint.

As already mentioned this is my top picks for 2012, but I’ll be watching as the year unfolds to see who else might visit us down this neck of the woods.

Classical Specials of the Month

2012-02-09T00:00:00Z

ABC Classics is a label that is constantly striving for excellence in the recording world. Featuring Australian musicians and composers in performances of all sorts, it is the world’s way of experiencing our contemporary culture. This month, ABC Classics are featuring a number of classic titles from their catalogue at special prices. If you don’t own them already, this is your chance to rediscover our amazing music once more. Limited stock at these prices.

Berg: Lulu

2012-02-09T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by Kate Rockstrom

Alban Berg’s music is often quite inaccessible and so when I was given the Deutsche Grammophon production of his opera Lulu I looked upon it with some trepidation. I have to say, it was as strange as I was expecting it to be. With semi nudity, a man in a monkey suit and a death all in the first 15 mins it was quite an operatic ride. What I wasn’t expecting was to enjoy the discordant blend of the Schoenberg twelve tone technique with elements of Mahlerian orchestrations, jazz saxophone and more. Petibon is simply exquisite as Lulu, the snake in a woman’s body. If you can appreciate the spectacle of the production and enjoy music that is inventive - this is a production not to be missed.

Strauss, Richard: Capriccio

2012-02-09T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by Kate Rockstrom

The Metropolitan Opera Seasons have been going from strength to strength in the past few years. One of those stunning productions now available on DVD is Richard Strauss’ opera Capriccio. Telling the story of a young widowed countess, she must choose between her lovers, the poet or the musician. Will words or music win? Beautifully performed by the Opera Company, with Renee Fleming in the lead role it is a feast for the eyes and ears. Just like in the movie theatre performances the DVD comes with all the backstage interviews and sneak previews. This is a must for any fan of theatre, music and poetry.

Charles Ives: Violin Sonatas, Hilary Hahn

2012-02-09T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by Kate Rockstrom

What is blatantly apparent from the very first notes of this recording is that not only do these two musicians feel absolutely comfortable playing with each other but they really love this music. Hahn said in her introduction that while recording these four sonatas their enthusiasm for them ‘never flagged’. Every note has feeling and nuance, with the bouncy rhythms juxtaposed by expressive melodic ideas all in the distinctly Ives fashion. Having not heard these works before, I am thrilled to add them to my collection. I can’t imagine a version that could match the amount of love poured into every note of this recording.

Two Souls, Mikhail Simonyan

2012-02-09T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by Kate Rockstrom

I love the Khachaturian Concerto for Violin and Orchestra and am not nearly as familiar with the Barber Concerto. Having listened to this new recording from Deutsche Grammophon featuring Mikhail Simonyan as soloist, I don’t think I could image two concertos more dissimilar. Simonyan hails from Russian/Armenian ancestry but studied at Curtis in America for many years. This celebrates the two sides of his life, or as the name suggests his ‘two souls’. I like the contrast of the two works, after the beast of the Khachaturian Concerto we have the mostly lyrical Barber. The playing is decided and strong. I will be very interested to see where Simonyan goes next musically.

Storyteller, Works for Trumpet, Tine Thing Helseth

2012-02-09T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by Kate Rockstrom

Who would have thought that the two trumpeters I have been hearing about non-stop in the past three months would both be women? Thank goodness I say! And Norwegian Tine Thing Helseth (pronounced Tin-eh Ting Hel-set) is something to talk about. Not only is she gorgeous but she also has one of the silkiest trumpet sounds I’ve ever heard. In each work on her album, Storyteller she tells, ‘of love and loss’. Originally written for voice, you can hear her singing through the instrument with emotion not often heard. When this was put on in store, everyone was shocked by how much they enjoyed it.

Delius 150th Anniversary Edition

2012-02-09T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by Kate Rockstrom

With the 2012 being the 150th Anniversary of Frederick Delius’ birth, Decca Classics have released an 8 CD box set with the core of his repertoire presented with great love and detail. The renowned conductor Sir Charles Mackerras is at the helm of many of the works, along with Sir Neville Marriner and distinguished ensembles like the Fitzwilliam Quartet, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields and of course, the London Symphony Orchestra. If you’re not particularly familiar with Delius as a composer, this is a fabulous place to start, with choral and orchestral works this is sure to please any music lover.

Concerto of the Greater Sea, Joseph Tawadros

2012-02-09T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by Kate Rockstrom

Joseph Tawadros is making a name for himself around the world for his virtuosic oud performances. This latest release though features him as composer as well as performer. With the Australian Chamber Orchestra by his side we are presented with the premiere of his Concerto of the Greater Sea, along with many other one movement works. With musicians of this quality you can’t go wrong. Highlights are the quartet with Chris Moore, Principal Viola ACO, Matt McMahon on piano, James Tawadros on Percussion and of course Joseph Tawadros on Oud. If you’re a fan of crossover albums, this is your first essential album for 2012.

Espana, Mischa & Lily Maisky

2012-02-09T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by Kate Rockstrom

I was very glad when I opened the liner notes to see that the first question that was asked of the Latvian Cellist Mischa Maisky was, ‘why an album of Spanish music’? The answer? He simply loves them and believes in their appeal across all cultures. With daughter Lily Maisky at the piano they romp their way through some amazing arrangements of music better known for orchestral or violin. This shouldn’t deter you from getting this album though. The musicianship is flawless with passion and spirit overflowing in each work.

Dirty Reads: A List by Readings Staff, Fans & Followers

2012-02-09T00:00:00Z

We've had fun over the past few days making lists of romantic reads and break-up books - all with an eye on Valentine's Day happening next week.

Today, inspired by Michelle Griffin's recent article 'Why teens should read raunchy novels and straight-up smut', we've put together a list of dirty/smutty/sexy/erotic books, with the help of our wonderful followers on Twitter and Facebook.

So here it is - our list of filthy literature:

Wetlands by Charlotte Roche
Delta Of Venus by Anais Nin
If Not Winter: Fragments Of Sappho by Sappho
Vox by Nicholson Baker
Kushiel's Scion by Jacqueline Carey
Story Of The Eye by Georges Bataille
BanQuet 2012: A Feast Of New Writing And Art By Queer Men by Deanne Carson & Laura Dettori (Eds)
BanQuet 2012: A Feast Of New Writing And Art By Queer Women by Deanne Carson & Laura Dettori (Eds)
The Romantic: Italian Nights And Days by Kate Holden
Fanny Hill by John Cleland
Lace by Shirley Conran
Succubus Revealed by Richelle Mead
The Fermata by Nicholson Baker
Quiver by Tobsha Learner
The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons
Eat Me by Linda Jaivin
Behind The Night Bazaar by Angela Savage
A Sport And A Pastime by James Salter
The Monkey's Mask by Dorothy Porter
Ivory by Tony Park
Forever by Judy Blume
Taming The Beast by Emily Maguire
House Of Sleeping Beauties And Other Stories by Yasunari Kawabata
Landscape With Animals by Cameron Redfern
The Joy Of Sex by Alex Comfort and Susan Quillam
Triptych by Krissy Kneen
House Of Holes by Nicholson Baker
Little Birds by Anais Nin
Loaded by Christos Tsiolkas
Affection: A Memoir Of Love Sex And Intimacy by Krissy Kneen
Platform by Michel Houellebecq
Out Of The Black Land by Kerry Greenwood
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
City Of Night by John Rechy

See the full collection of Dirty Reads.

We also have an impressive collection of romance/erotic ebooks going too - which are great when you don't want to risk unwanted eyes finding your reading material.

February Kids' & YA Books Round-Up

2012-02-09T00:00:00Z

After the craziness of Christmas, the start of the year can seem quiet in comparison – a chance to catch your breath and relax with a good book. But while the rest of us might have been relaxing, some of our favourite authors and illustrators have been hard at work making February an exciting month for kids’ and young adult books.

There’s a lot to look forward to in picture books, with a new title from Pamela Allen – The Little Old Man Who Looked Up at the Moon; Lightning Jack, the bushranger tale of a free-spirited horse from Glenda Millard and Patricia Mullins ; and Oh No, George!, the new book from Chris Haughton, the author of A Bit Lost which was a favourite amongst the kids’ specialists at Readings.

For younger readers aged six and up who are just starting out on chapter books, you’re in luck! Sally Rippin, creator of the phenomenally successful Billie B. Brown series, has written another series starring Billie’s best friend called Hey Jack!, as well as having a brand new Billie B. Brown title, The Cutest Pet Ever.

While there are lots of additions to series, like Fallen in Love by Lauren Kate, author of the Fallen books, and the fifth in Robert Muchamore’s Henderson’s Boys series titled The Prisoner, it’s the newcomers that are taking everybody by surprise. I was completely engrossed by the dark historical thriller VIII by HM Castor, which re-imagines the boyhood years of Henry VIII, and our Carlton kids’ book expert, Leanne Hall, has gone on record to say she’s already read her top pick of 2012: Cinder, a sci-fi retelling of Cinderella.

But what’s really on everyone’s lips is the forthcoming Hunger Games movie, so if you haven't read these amazing books yet, make sure you do! While the film won’t be out until the end of March, there’s plenty to whet your appetite until then. The Unofficial Hunger Games Companion will fill you in on any details you might have missed, as well as the soon-to-be-released The World of The Hunger Games (published 23 March) which will also contain interviews with Suzanne Collins herself.

So if you’re searching for a good read in February, you’re sure to find something in this latest crop of new releases.

Holly Harper is a children’s bookseller at Readings Carlton where she organises the kids and Young Adult enews'. She also writes books for younger readers under the name H.J. Harper. Find out more about her Star League and Bureau of Mysteries series here.

Break-Up Books: A List by Readings Staff, Fans & Followers

2012-02-08T00:00:00Z

Yesterday we came up with a list of romantic reads , so today we thought we go in the other direction and put together a list of Break-Up Books.

These books - as chosen by Readings staff, Facebook fans and Twitter followers - feature break-ups, be they at the beginning, middle or the end of the book - and in some cases such as High Fidelity, all the way through. Thanks to everyone who put forward a book to be included on the list.

Here it is, our list of Break-Up Books:

High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
Important Artifacts And Personal Property From The Collection Of Lenore Doolan And Harold Morris by Leanne Shapton
Nick And Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Zigzag Street by Nick Earls
My Mistress's Sparrow Is Dead: Great Love Stories From Chekhovto to Munro by Jeffrey Eugenides
The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham
Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
An Equal Music Vikram Seth
On Chesil Beach by Ian Mc Ewan
Silence In October by Jens Christian Grondahl
He's Just Not That Into You: The No Excuses Truth To Understanding Guys by Greg Behrendt And Liz Tuccillo
Talking It Over by Julian Barnes
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
Life Before Man by Margaret Atwood
The Passion by Jeanette Winterson
Forever by Judy Blume
An Abundance Of Katherines by John Green
Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler (illustrated by Maira Kalman)
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The Summer Without Men by Siri Hustvedt
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
The End Of The Affair by Graham Greene
Tipping The Velvet by Sarah Waters
Monkey Grip by Helen Garner
The Orchard by Drusilla Modjeska

See the full collection of Break-Up Books.

And stay tuned tomorrow when we turn our eye to Dirty Reads and make a list of erotica - with your help!

The Story of My Book: Asphyxia on Hatched: The Grimstones Book One

2012-02-08T00:00:00Z

Australia's leading deaf puppeteer, Asphyxia, has turned her gothic puppet theatre show into a new series of children's books that has just launched with book #1 - The Grimstones: Hatched. Asphyxia guest blogs to tell us the story of how the Grimstones came to the stage, and then the page.

The seeds for The Grimstones were sown in Guatemala several years ago. On the street I saw a dreadlocked man, Sergio Barrios, performing with marionettes. I was captivated, for despite the rough appearance of his puppets, they were so expressive that they seemed to be alive. After the show, I stayed, and begged Sergio to share his skills with me. Lucky for me, he did.

The first puppet I made was Bronwyn, and she looked just like me. Performing with Bronwyn was like playing with dolls, which it seems I’ve never entirely grown out of! I’d been a circus performer for many years, but decided puppetry would be my way forward. Although my audiences loved Bronwyn, she was too small for some of the larger stages I performed on. I started thinking about another puppet show, something bigger, something gothic… In my teens I was an ardent goth, and it seems that’s also something I haven’t entirely grown out of.

I started scultping with clay, just to see if I could make the kind of face I envisaged for my puppets, with big dark eyes, and my rough versions turned out even better than I dared to hope. I was hooked. I spent the next eighteen months holed up in my loft studio, creating my family of puppets and their miniature home. While I’ve always loved making things, I’ve never had any special training in the making of miniatures, so I had to invent as I went along. I wanted every aspect to be lifelike, and to look as if it had been created a hundred years ago. I knew audiences wouldn’t be able to see each detail from the stage, but I didn’t want the illusion to be shattered after the show, when they might come in close and discover it was all made of foam and cardboard. I wanted them to find more: titles of books, details of spells, little notes tacked to the walls…

The Grimstones theatre show stunned me with its success. It seemed that like me, my audiences fell in love with my family of puppets, and we were invited to perform on stages around the world. Someone from Allen & Unwin saw the show, and we received a call asking if The Grimstones could become a book. I can’t tell you how much fun I’ve had getting into Martha Grimstone’s head to 'help' her write her journal.

Hatched is a gothic fairytale about a girl who keeps her secrets safe between two pieces of cardboard, a mama who cries lakes of tears every night, and a giant egg that seems to take forever to hatch.

The Grimstones: Hatched is out now. Mortimer Revealed: The Grimstones #2 is out in April. You can read more about The Grimstones here.

Pre-School Story Time - Friday 23 March 2012 at 10:30am

2012-02-07T00:00:00Z

Friday 23 March 2012 at 10:30am

Readings Malvern: 185 Glenferrie Rd, Malvern, Victoria, 3144

Drop into Readings Malvern for Story Time, every Friday from 10.30am – 11am.

For children aged 2 – 5 year old. Free event, no need to book.

Please note: This is not a child-minding service. We ask that parents stay with their children for the reading. To find out more please call us on (03) 9509 1952.

Pre-School Story Time - Friday 16 March 2012 at 10:30am

2012-02-07T00:00:00Z

Friday 16 March 2012 at 10:30am

Readings Malvern: 185 Glenferrie Rd, Malvern, Victoria, 3144

Drop into Readings Malvern for Story Time, every Friday from 10.30am – 11am.

For children aged 2 – 5 year old. Free event, no need to book.

Please note: This is not a child-minding service. We ask that parents stay with their children for the reading. To find out more please call us on (03) 9509 1952.

Pre-School Story Time - Friday 09 March 2012 at 10:30am

2012-02-07T00:00:00Z

Friday 09 March 2012 at 10:30am

Readings Malvern: 185 Glenferrie Rd, Malvern, Victoria, 3144

Drop into Readings Malvern for Story Time, every Friday from 10.30am – 11am.

For children aged 2 – 5 year old. Free event, no need to book.

Please note: This is not a child-minding service. We ask that parents stay with their children for the reading. To find out more please call us on (03) 9509 1952.

Pre-School Story Time - Friday 02 March 2012 at 10:30am

2012-02-07T00:00:00Z

Friday 02 March 2012 at 10:30am

Readings Malvern: 185 Glenferrie Rd, Malvern, Victoria, 3144

Drop into Readings Malvern for Story Time, every Friday from 10.30am – 11am.

For children aged 2 – 5 year old. Free event, no need to book.

Please note: This is not a child-minding service. We ask that parents stay with their children for the reading. To find out more please call us on (03) 9509 1952.

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

2012-02-07T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by Andrew McDonald

Daniel Handler isn’t quite as famous as Lemony Snicket. The Unfortunate Series of Events series catapulted the Snicket name into the upper-echelons of literary stardom. The series became one of the most popular among children, bazillions of the books were sold and an unfortunate (snap) movie was even made.

All the while the man behind the Snicket pseudonym – Daniel Handler – published three books under his own name (The Basic Eight, Watch Your Mouth and Adverbs) none of which were received nearly as well. There was just something more appealing about Lemony Snicket. Even his picture books like The Composer Is Dead and even his piece supporting the Occupy Wall Street movement had a certain flair that ‘Daniel Handler’ had never quite captured. Happily, this changes with Handler’s first Young Adult novel - Why We Broke Up.

Min Green has recently broken up with Ed Slaterton, co-captain of the school basketball team. In a grandiose act of closure she dumps a letter and a big box on Ed’s front porch. The box contains a mix of eclectic objects – each one a piece of memorabilia from their relationship – bottle caps from the beers they drank on first meeting (as seen below), a movie stub from their first date, stolen sugar from a favourite café and more. Each chapter revolves around an object – each of which is gorgeously portrayed in full colour by illustrator Maira Kalman. The book is Min’s letter to Ed, a catalogue of their time together and reasons for the breakup – although you’ll have to wait till book’s end to find out how things really ended.

Min’s narration is kind of jarring on first read, with strange sentence constructions and phrasings, but it has a wonderful rhythm to it and once you’re in with it, you stay in. The more you bounce along with Min’s rhythm, the more it becomes apparent that Handler has crafted the beautifully honest voice of someone recovering from the peaks and valleys of first-time love.

There’s much to relate to in Why We Broke Up: the falling for the wrong person, the euphoria of new love, the friends and family members who aren’t yours but must be navigated anyway and the awfulness of a break-up that happens suddenly, even though it has been coming for some time. And yet, for the most part, relationship clichés are avoided. Ed wants the relationship to exist in and around his basketball life, but Min has other ideas and ensures they do other things together too - like stalking an old woman who may or may not be a movie star from yesteryear and making a miniature igloo from cubed eggs and stolen sugar.

Lemony Snicket found his groove long ago. Reading Why We Broke Up it is clear that Daniel Handler has now found his. This novel just feels right. And while the spoiler is in the book's title (they break up), Handler's meditation on and dissection of a relationship is equal parts heartbreaking, heartwarming, ugly and beautiful. Which again, feels exactly right.