It’s not every aspiring editor who gets writers like Cate Kennedy and Alex Miller interested in their project, but that’s what happened to Jason Cotter, editor and originator of Readings and Writings, an anthology celebrating Readings’ fortieth birthday.
‘I was working in the warehouse with Mark [Rubbo], unpacking remainders, and we were talking about publishing,’ he recalls. ‘I asked him if he’d ever like to get into publishing himself and he said he would, someday.’ Cotter, who was studying writing and editing at RMIT, ‘dashed off’ a proposal early the next morning and sent it to Mark, Readings’ managing director, who gave the project a tentative green light, and suggested that it be published to mark the upcoming special occasion.
The result, after almost two years of hard work, is an impressive collection of short fiction boasting a wonderfully quirky foreword from Shane Maloney, a fascinating historical overview of Readings by Mark Rubbo, and stories from a range of established and emerging writers. Christos Tsiolkas, Cate Kennedy, Alex Miller, Elliot Perlman and Peter Goldsworthy are just some of the ‘name’ writers represented. ‘They’re top-shelf stories,’ says Cotter excitedly. ‘It’s a real testament to the regard that people hold for Readings that we were lucky enough to get them. It was just great to work with those people.’
He’s equally enthusiastic about the emerging writers in the collection, particularly a couple who’ve recently crossed the line to become new members of the literary establishment – Kalinda Ashton (The Danger Game) and Steven Amsterdam (Things We Didn’t See Coming). Of Amsterdam’s story, he says ‘I read a paragraph and already I thought, This is great, we’ll take it!’ With Ashton’s, he remembers having it folded in his pocket and taking it out to read after a long hike out of mobile range. ‘I just couldn’t wait to get to a phone booth and say I love your story!’
Cotter’s enthusiasm for the stories he loves and for the project as a whole is infectious. It’s not surprising that he managed to talk Mark Rubbo into sponsoring it. And not just Mark – this labour of love has been keenly assisted by several Readings staff and various publishing industry people.
Readings staff read submissions and shared opinions, particularly Michelle Calligaro, Esther van Doornum and Robbie Egan, all of whom had completed writing or publishing courses. Michael Williams, head of programming at Melbourne’s new Centre for Books Writing and Ideas (and former editor at Text Publishing) was invited on board as co-editor, lending his considerable experience to the project. ‘He was very keen and said he’d love to do it regardless of our budget,’ recalls Cotter. Emma Schwarcz and Mary Small from Hardie Grant mentored Cotter through the editorial process, making sure the final book was as polished as it could be.
The resulting anthology is as professional as you’d expect from all that expertise – both handsomely designed and a cracker of a read. It’s not just a number of good stories; it’s cohesive and varied – a good collection. There’s a savvy mix, offering the best of some of our most beloved local writers and a range of welcome new voices, as any really good anthology does.
Cotter worked hard to get that variation, in both experience and style. ‘I had a lot of dark stories at first, so I was halfway looking for some lighter, happier ones.’ The themes vary wildly, from Christos Tsiolkas’s confronting piece about a couple disastrously estranged from their homosexual son and forced to confront his life too late, to Leanne Hall’s contemporary twist on the Icarus myth. And there were certain other themes Cotter was particularly pleased to include. ‘Maybe it’s odd for a book with 24 stories, but we have two on football – of course, footy’s a pretty big player here. And I thought because we’re a music shop too, it would be great to include some music writers. Thankfully, we received a story from Mark Seymour [of Hunters and Collectors fame].’
The final ingredient in the mix is the inclusion of five Readings staff (past and present), all of them more than deserving of their place among Melbourne’s best writers. That staff representation is something that’s always been at the heart of the project, even before it became a concrete idea. Before Cotter’s chance conversation in the Readings warehouse that led to this published book, he and contributor Robbie Egan (now manager of Readings Carlton) had talked about ‘how great it would be’ if they could publish their work in one publication, ‘together with past and present Readings employees’. Here it is. With bells on.
Readings and Writings: Forty Years in Books is available to buy online from Readings now and will be in all Readings shops this Saturday. It has been published this year to coincide with Readings’ fortieth birthday. All proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to The Readings Foundation.
Some of the writers and editors that contributed their words, time and effort to the Readings and Writings anthology.
