News

NAIDOC week 2020 has moved to November

Last week it was announced that National NAIDOC Week 2020 celebrations will now be held from 8-15 November, instead of this week. This decision has been made due to the impacts and uncertainty from the ongoing public health crisis. Regardless, now still feels like a critical time to be reading First Nations voices. Here, some of our staff share their picks for what book you could be reading in July.

“We are lucky to have some brilliant First Nations poets…

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Mark's Say, July 2020

by Mark Rubbo

You might recall that in my last column I contemplated what the impact of the escalating COVID-19 crisis might be and grappled with how we would cope. As we went into lockdown, I was going to read Middlemarch and hoped that some of you might go on a similar journey. Our shops might have been closed but, wonderfully, many of you shifted to buying from us online. It was so heartening, but the number of online orders took my colleagues…

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A mid-year update from our programming & events manager

by Chris Gordon

It feels like it has been quite some time since I poured you a glass of wine, ducked behind a bookcase to talk shop, or checked that the shop’s microphone was working and that you could hear me loud and clear. Lately, my time has been spent looking at authors’ bookcases, or kitchens, or very tidy lounge rooms. We ‘pivoted’, my friends, and the outcome has been glorious. The Readings’ events programme is alive and well and Zooming from home…

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Charmaine Papertalk Green wins the ALS Gold Medal 2020

Charmaine Papertalk Green has been named the 2020 winner of the ALS Gold Medal for their extraordinary poetry collection, Nganajungu Yagu.

A visual artist, poet, writer, independent curator and social sciences researcher, Green is a member of the Wajarri, Badimaya and Nhanagardi cultural groups from the Yamaji Nation of Western Australia.

Below are her own words about her award-winning work:

“Forty years ago, letters, words and feelings flowed between a teenage daughter and her mother. Letters written by that…

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Alison Huber is a finalist for Bookseller of the Year 2020

We’re delighted that our Book Division Manager Alison Huber has been shortlisted for this year’s ABA Bookseller of the Year Awards. These awards recognise booksellers for their performance within their own bookshops, along with their achievements within the book industry and throughout their local community.

Huber, who has worked at Readings for 17 years, is a finalist for the ABA Text Publishing Bookseller of the Year award. In 2015, she stepped into the role of head book buyer and over…

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The Carnegie & Kate Greenaway Medals winners 2020

The winners of the 2020 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals have been announced!

The Carnegie Medal is awarded by children’s librarians for an outstanding book written in English for children and young people. The Kate Greenaway Medal is awarded by children’s librarians for an outstanding book in terms of illustration for children and young people.

The CILIP Carnegie Medal has been awarded to Anthony McGowan for Lark.

Nicky and Kenny mum’s is coming to visit. A lot has…

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The Miles Franklin Literary Award shortlist 2020

Congratulations to the authors shortlisted for this year’s Miles Franklin Literary Award.

The six shortlisted titles are…

The White Girl by Tony Birch (Read our review)

Islands by Peggy Frew (Read our review)

No One by John Hughes

The Returns by Philip Salom (Read our review)

Exploded View by Carrie Tiffany (Read our review)

The Yield by Tara June Winch (Read our review)

Richard Neville, Mitchell Librarian of the State…

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ABA Booksellers' Choice Book of the Year Awards shortlists 2020

The shortlists for the Australian Booksellers Association’s (ABA) Booksellers’ Choice Book of the Year Awards have been announced. These awards recognise the titles that booksellers most enjoyed reading and hand-selling during 2019.

This year, for the first time, the awards will be presented in three categories: adult fiction, nonfiction and children’s. Below are this year’s shortlisted titles for each category.

Adult fiction

The Wife and the Widow by Christian White

Bruny by Heather Rose

The Weekend by Charlotte Wood

Silver

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ABA Booksellers' Choice Book of the Year Awards longlists 2020

The longlists for the Australian Booksellers Association’s (ABA) Booksellers’ Choice Book of the Year Awards have been announced. These awards recognise the titles that booksellers most enjoyed reading and hand-selling during 2019.

This year, for the first time, the awards will be presented in three categories: adult fiction, nonfiction and children’s. Below are this year’s longlisted titles for each category.

Adult fiction

The White Girl by Tony Birch

Peace by Garry Disher

Silver by Chris Hammer

Cilka’s Journey by Heather…

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An update about the Readings Monthly in 2020

Since its early days, Readings has published the Readings Monthly – our free, independent newspaper. Featuring books, albums, DVDs, events, reviews, news, interviews, author features, and more, this newsletter has grown over many years into a full-colour, 24-page monthly publication. Produced by a small but passionate editorial and design team, the Readings Monthly brings together contributions from staff across all of our shops, from the senior buyers’ curatorial input to our staff-written reviews. The Readings Monthly is something we love…

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