Mandy Partridge's Blog - Posts Tagged "lifeline-book-fair"
Lifeline Book Fair
As my 'currently reading' list shows, I've just been to the annual Lifeline Book Fair, and come back with as many books as I could carry.
Focusing on Australian, Brisbane and First Nations writers, I also found some British and American writers that I like. Last year I'd found a Ruth Parks, and this year I found two of her husband, D'Arcy Niland's books, 'Dadda jumped over two Elephants' and 'The Shiralee'. I found an illustrated biography of Miles Franklin, to sit next to her works- a literary award was named after her.
I found Delia Falconer's Sydney, and a collection of short stories she edited. Brisbane writer Kim Wilkins' 'Rosa and the Veil of Gold' now sits with 'Resurrectionists'.
I found another Peter Carey book, to join the shelf of his great works. I was lucky to meet Carey the year I edited Semper Floreat, the UQ magazine.
I also found another Colleen McCullough, to go with her motley collection.
This year, the First Nations books I found were mostly nonfiction, but I am just as interested in this important research as in fiction.
I found another Armistead Maupin book, and I was excited to meet Armistead at a Brisbane Writers Festival one year. I had bought his first four books at a church school fete, tied together with string.
Armistead was out of print at the time, so his queue was short, and we chatted for ages. I told him I was glad the four books were tied together, so I could grab the whole series. He thought they were tied up so no-one would look inside, at all the terrible sexy rainbow stories. We laughed about book bondage, and if it was anally retentive, or what?
I also found a bunch of plays, so my play and film script shelf is slowly filling up too.
Re-arranging my bookshelves according to publishing house has helped me to understand the publishing industry too, and I realised that while half my favourite authors are with the big houses, half are not, and publish with many small companies, or self publish.
There are probably 3000 books between the house and the shed now. I'll have to give some back to Lifeline, a worthy cause, at any time of year.
Focusing on Australian, Brisbane and First Nations writers, I also found some British and American writers that I like. Last year I'd found a Ruth Parks, and this year I found two of her husband, D'Arcy Niland's books, 'Dadda jumped over two Elephants' and 'The Shiralee'. I found an illustrated biography of Miles Franklin, to sit next to her works- a literary award was named after her.
I found Delia Falconer's Sydney, and a collection of short stories she edited. Brisbane writer Kim Wilkins' 'Rosa and the Veil of Gold' now sits with 'Resurrectionists'.
I found another Peter Carey book, to join the shelf of his great works. I was lucky to meet Carey the year I edited Semper Floreat, the UQ magazine.
I also found another Colleen McCullough, to go with her motley collection.
This year, the First Nations books I found were mostly nonfiction, but I am just as interested in this important research as in fiction.
I found another Armistead Maupin book, and I was excited to meet Armistead at a Brisbane Writers Festival one year. I had bought his first four books at a church school fete, tied together with string.
Armistead was out of print at the time, so his queue was short, and we chatted for ages. I told him I was glad the four books were tied together, so I could grab the whole series. He thought they were tied up so no-one would look inside, at all the terrible sexy rainbow stories. We laughed about book bondage, and if it was anally retentive, or what?
I also found a bunch of plays, so my play and film script shelf is slowly filling up too.
Re-arranging my bookshelves according to publishing house has helped me to understand the publishing industry too, and I realised that while half my favourite authors are with the big houses, half are not, and publish with many small companies, or self publish.
There are probably 3000 books between the house and the shed now. I'll have to give some back to Lifeline, a worthy cause, at any time of year.
