Yes we are open today.

Click here to find out the library opening hours for this week.

Normal hours resume on Friday 2 January 2009.

Books to give this Christmas

Are you struggling with last minute Christmas presents? Why not choose a book for that special someone? Here are some suggestions carefully selected by our librarians:

Cookery & travel
Maggie’s Harvest & Maggie’s Kitchen both by Maggie Beer
Nigella Christmas : food, family, friends, festivities by Nigella Lawson
In the kitchen : more than 1000 recipes for everyday by Allan Campion and Michele Curtis
Venezia : food & dreams by Tessa Kiros
Fire : a world of flavours by Christine Mansfield
Lonely Planet's Best in travel 2009 edition
The big trip by George Dunford

Crime and mystery
Private patient by P. D. James
A brass verdict Michael Connelly
A most wanted man by John Le Carre
Moscow rules by Daniel Silva
Girl with the dragon tattoo by Stieg Larrsson
Girl who played with fire by Stieg Larrsson
The Birthday present by Barbara Vine
Cross country by James Patterson
The Charlemagne pursuit by Steve Berry

Biographies
Churchill and Australia by Graham Freudenberg.
Manning Clark : a life by Brian Matthews
Gough Whitlam : a moment in history : the biography. volume 1 by Jenny Hocking.

Cricket biographies
True colours : my life by Adam Gilchrist
Captain's diary 2008 : a season of tests, turmoil and twentytwenty by Ricky Ponting and Geoff Armstrong

Science & Non-fiction
Reading the OED : one man, one year, 21 730 pages by Ammon Shea
Sex sleep eat drink dream : a day in the life of your body by Jennifer Ackerman
The brain that changes itself : stories of personal triumph from the frontiers of brain science by Norman Doidge
Two kinds of decay by Sarah Manguso
Like I give a frock : fashion forecasts and meaningless misguidance by Chloe Quigley and Daniel Pollock, illustrations by Kat Macleod
I was told there’d be cake by Sloane Crosley
The really useful grandparents' book by Eleo Gordon and Tony Lacey

Gardening
Contemporary Australian garden design : secrets of leading garden designers revealed by John Patrick and Jenny Wade.
Australian gardens for a changing climate by Jenna Reed Burns; photographer Simon Griffiths.
One magic square : grow your own food on one square metre by Lolo Houbein.

Literature and Australian fiction
The lieutenant by Kate Grenville
Wanting by Richard Flanagan
The boat by Nam Le
The rip by Robert Drewe
Vertigo : a pastoral by Amanda Lohrey
The slap by Christos Tsiolkas

Reading my way through the year

Emma, a Community Outreach Officer at the Boroondara Libraries set herself a herculean task in 2008.

She decided that she would attempt to read her way through 50 books from January to December (with two weeks to wind-down from all that literature). She had some titles which she had wanted to read for some time, otherwise it was a mixed selection: long, short, deep or light reading. Her choice of books did not require that she read a book a week but rather whatever took her fancy or came to her attention via reviews or suggestions from friends, library colleagues or by serendipity when she saw something interesting while working at the circulation desk.

As we approach Christmas, Emma has just finished the 48^th book. Some of her favourite reads this year include: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen; Unpolished Gem by Alice Pung; The Ghost’s Child by Sonya Hartnett; Gould’s Book of Fish by Richard Flanagan; The Marchesa by Simonetta Agnello Hornby (translated from Italian); Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn; and In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O’Brien.

The process of reading 50 books was not hard for Emma. However a book that did not live up to her expectations, or was a reading experience that was too intense, slowed her down.

Emma enjoyed this project. She does not think she would do it again; it puts pressure on a person as a reader and it simply takes time to read and digest some books properly. Slow reading and thinking about what an author is trying to achieve is important, as is having time to let a book linger in your mind for some time after you have finished it.

Yes, there are still two books to go for Emma to complete her task. Will she get there???? Stay tuned.

Happy holiday reading and perhaps you can make it your New Year’s Resolution to follow Emma and set the goal of 50 books for 2009. Start a list, visit the Boroondara Library Service where you will find a great range of fiction and non-fiction to motivate you … and start reading!

Poet Dorothy Porter dies at age 54

Dorothy Porter died this morning from complications due to cancer. She was one of Australia’s best known and most loved poets. Dorothy wrote five crime thriller fiction books that were in poetry verse instead of prose. She also wrote many collections of poetry in which she experimented with her craft and took the medium of poetry to new levels. Her style is short, sexy, and forthright. She was a ground-breaking and award-winning poet, a brilliant speaker, a passionate author, and an outspoken defender of writers and authors.

Her most recent publication, El Dorado was shortlisted for Dinny O'Hearn Poetry Prize (Age Book of the Year Award), the Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature, the Prime Minister's Literary Award for Fiction, and Best Fiction in the Ned Kelly Awards.

I heard her talk for the first time at a writer’s festival in Brisbane about ten years ago. Unlike many poets, Dorothy knew how to deliver her poems with punch. She was impressive. I can still hear her voice as I read her books.

If you have not read her books try searching the library catalogue using the words Dorothy Porter. Her crime thriller fiction in verse include:
El Dorado
Wild Surmise
What a piece of work
The Monkey’s Mask
Akhenaten

The Walkleys

The Walkleys are awards in the field of journalism and this year a couple of interesting non-fiction books have been given awards.

Don Watson has won the non-fiction writing award for American Journeys. In the category of Coverage of Indigenous Affairs, Last drinks : the impact of the Northern Territory intervention by Paul Toohey has won.

Both of these books are available through the library catalogue.

Kew Library Closed 8th December

Just a reminder that the Kew Library will be closed on Monday the 8th December for electrical works.

All of our other branches will be open as usual. Loaned items will still be able to be returned through the after-hours chutes.

We apologise for any inconvenience this closure may cause.

To contact one of the other libraries just call 9278 4666.

Gift a book this Christmas

The best way to see happy faces this Christmas is to give books as presents. But how do you know which books to buy? The answer is.....ask a Librarian!

At Balwyn Library this 3rd December at 7.30pm library staff will talk about good books to give this Christmas. We will talk about the biggest and most beautiful books to buy, as well as buying for the difficult reader.

A large range of new titles will be available for lending or buying – Readings Bookshop will be in attendance and will be offering a 10% discount on all books purchased on the night.

Admission is free, however bookings are essential.

When: Wednesday 3 December at 7.30pm
Where: Balwyn Library, 336 Whitehorse Road, Balwyn
Phone: 9278 4666 or book online

Brilliant books get awards

David Malouf has won the Australia-Asia Literary prize for his book The Complete Stories. The 31 stories that make up this book are imaginative, evocative and are a fine example of good Australian writing. Short stories can restrict an author immensely but Malouf is an expert; part philosopher, part poet he snares you in his world in just a few pages.

Search the library catalogue for a copy today.

Christopher Koch's The Memory Room has won the Waverley Library Award for Literature. This award is often given to works of non-fiction, however Koch's deep research into espionage impressed the judges so much that he beat the other 165 entries. The memory room explores the development of a Australian spy called Vincent Austin from his orphaned childhood to a master secret-keeper.

Click here to find it on the library catalogue.

The boat by first time author Nam Le has won the Dylan Thomas Prize. This prize is given to a writer under 30 years of age and it was established to encourage encourage and celebrate young creative authors. The boat is another collection of short stories and one of the judges Peter Florence said it "demonstrated a rare brilliance that is breathtaking both in the scope of its subject matter and the quality of its writing."
Find it on the library catalogue today.

Final Booktalk for 2008

The final Booktalk for 2008 will be at Kew Library on the 26th November at 2pm.

Join the library staff as they review some exciting new books and look back on their treasured favourites. Featured books will be available for loan, and refreshments will be served.

This session is free and bookings are not required.

When: Wednesday 26 November at 2pm
Where: Kew Library, Cnr Cotham Road & Civic Drive, Kew
Phone: 9278 4666 for enquiries

Booktalks dates and times for 2009 are as follows:

Ashburton Library
Wednesdays at 11am
11 February
29 April
12 August
28 October

Balwyn Library
Mondays at 11am
23 February
18 May
20 July
12 October

Hawthorn Library
Thursdays at 2pm
12 March
4 June
27 August
12 November

Kew Library
Wednesdays at 2pm
25 March
24 June
16 September
25 November

Give a book for Christmas this year!

Do you struggle to get all your Christmas shopping done on time? Do you panic over buying appropriate gifts for a range of people? Are you making a list of things you want for Christmas?

Well, stop panicking. Just come along to Balwyn Library on the 3rd of December and hear library staff talk about books to give this Christmas.

A large range of new titles will be available for lending or buying – Readings Bookshop will be in attendance and will be offering a 10% discount on all books purchased on the night.

Admission is free, however bookings are essential.

When: Wednesday 3 December at 7.30pm
Where: Balwyn Library, 336 Whitehorse Road, Balwyn
Phone: 9278 4666 or book online

Walkleys Award

The Walkleys are awarded to Australian journalists across many different media including literature and this year some very good books have been short listed. The winner will be announced on the 27 November.


Vietnam: The Australian War by Paul Ham.

This is the story of the Australian troops in The Vietnam War which uses accounts from soldiers, politicians, aid workers, entertainers and Vietnamese people. Paul Ham has tried to shed light on the soldiers perspectives and how, on their return to Australia, their own country treated them indifferently.


The Tall Man by Chloe Hooper.

On Palm Island Cameron Doomadgee swore at a policeman and sometime later was dead in a prison cell with injuries consistent with a fall. The policeman was Christopher Hurley who, through a coronial inquest and an independent review, was acquitted of any crime. The Tall Man is the story of this controversial case and is a compelling read for anyone interested in Australian race politics.


American Journeys by Don Watson.

This book takes you closer to real America than any travel guide. Don Watson travels by train through America and informally chats with everyday people he meets. He discovers a nation of bravado and self-assurance but paradoxically also one of violence and insecurity. His writing is elegant and his journey is captivating.


Visit the Library Catalogue to reserve any of these titles.

Meet the author of Parentonomics

Joshua Gans is the author of Parentonomics: an Economist Dad's parenting experiences and you can meet him tonight at Kew Library. He is an economic Professor and therefore uses his economic knowledge as well as game theory to help with parenting. He will talk about how to cope with fussy eaters, toilet training and the tooth fairy.

By laying bare some of the hidden economies of parenting, his book may help you stay one step ahead of your children. Parenting will never be the same!

Admission is free, however bookings are essential.

When: Thursday 13 November 2008 at 7.30pm - that's tonight!
Where: Kew Library, Cnr Cotham Road & Civic Drive, Kew
Phone: 9278 4666 or book online

Books on Obama.

Do you want to get to know the next American president a little better? We have a couple of books you might be interested in.

Dreams from my father : a story of race and inheritance by Barack Obama is first book of memoirs and he talks about race issues, identity and community in America. This is a very personal book and Obama relates stories about his family and from his childhood. It's a good place to start some reading on Obama.

In The Audacity of Hope : thoughts on reclaiming the American dream, Obama explores the faith and values that have helped him to develop as a leader. He talks about the current political landscape and how politicians have lost touch with the people.

For a more balanced view you might read Obama : from promise to power by David Mendell. Mendell is a journalist and in this book he talks convincingly about Obama’s charisma, his passionate ambition as he headed towards the Whitehouse and his personal history.

Finally, Barack Obama : a biography by Joann F. Price is specifically written for high school students and those doing further research. It covers everything from Obama’s family history to his campaign for presidency. It is detailed but accessible and will be very handy for students and others wanting a in depth biography of Barack Obama.

To find these books just type Obama into the catalogue keyword search and you will get several hits.

Man Booker Prize Book Review

The White Tiger
by Aravind Adiga


The surprise winner of the 2008 Man Booker Prize is first-time novelist, Aravind Adiga.

At 33 he is the one of the youngest writers to win and also the fourth Indian-born winner, along with Salman Rushdie, Arundhati Roy and Kiran Desai.

He was born in Madras in 1974, raised partly in Australia, and now lives in Mumbai. A journalist, he was educated at the universities of Oxford and Columbia.

The White Tiger takes the form of seven letters written by a Bangalore businessman, Balram Halwai to Wen Jiabao, the Chinese Prime Minister. He wants to describe his country to Wen Jiabao who is soon to visit India.

Balram, the ‘white tiger’ of the title, is both antihero and a most entertaining narrator. Born the son of an impoverished rural rickshaw driver, by lying, betraying and using his sharp intelligence he claws his way from poverty to the heights of entrepreneurial success.

The book is a compelling story of modern India, an “India of Light and an India of Darkness”. In Balram’s own words “in the old days there were 1,000 castes in India. These days, there are just two castes: Men with Big Bellies, and Men with Small Bellies”.

Although Balram is a thoroughly unpleasant villain, it is impossible not to feel sympathy with him. He tells his story with wit and a sardonic humour.

Selecting a winner this year was a difficult task for the Man Booker judges, and The White Tiger was not a unanimous choice. Michael Portillo, chair of the judges, said that “here was a book on the cutting edge, dealing with a different aspect of India. What set it apart was its originality. The feeling was that this was new territory”.

I enjoyed this novel immensely; it’s a real page-turner, a book to read in one session. Adiga has a most original voice and brilliantly paints this unforgettable story.

This review was written by Julie Best from Acquisitions and Cataloguing at Hawthorn Library

The race that closes the Boroondara Libraries

Ashburton, Balwyn, Camberwell, Hawthorn and Kew Libraries will be closed on Melbourne Cup Day Tuesday 4 November.

Normal hours will resume on Wednesday 5 November.

Parentonomics: an Economist Dad's parenting experiences

Meet Joshua Gans, author of Parentonomics: an Economist Dad's parenting experiences.

Forget about inflation and unemployment – in Parentonomics, Economics Professor Joshua Gans demonstrates how he utilises his knowledge of economics and game theory to tackle really important subjects such as fussy eaters, toilet training and the tooth fairy.

By laying bare some of the hidden economies of parenting, his book may help you stay one step ahead of your children.

Parenting will never be the same!

Admission is free, however bookings are essential.

When: Thursday 13 November 2008 at 7.30pm
Where: Kew Library, Cnr Cotham Road & Civic Drive, Kew
Phone: 9278 4666 or book online

2008 Australia-Asia Literary Award Longlist

The longlist for Australia's richest literary prize, the $110,000 Australia-Asia Literary Award, was announced on October 17, 2008 by Western Australia's Culture and Arts Minister John Day.

The longlisted works are:

J.M. Coetzee, Diary of a Bad Year
Matthew Condon, The Trout Opera
Michelle de Kretser, The Lost Dog
Ceridwen Dovey, Blood Kin
Rodney Hall, Love Without Hope
Mohsin Hamid, The Reluctant Fundamentalist
Mireille Juchau, Burning In
David Malouf, The Complete Stories
Alex Miller, Landscape of Farewell
Haruki Murakami, After Dark, Translator: Jay Rubin
Indra Sinha, Animal's People
Janette Turner Hospital, Orpheus Lost

The winner will be annouced on Friday November 21, 2008.

Bring your Library Card

When borrowing at Hawthorn Library on Saturday 25 October, you must present your library card to staff (license or other types of ID will not be adequate)in order to borrow.

This is due to work being carried out in Hawthorn which will result in a limited service at Hawthorn Library on Saturday October 25 from 10am to 5pm.

All other branches will be operating as normal.

We apologise for any inconvenience.

Q & A with James Phelan

James Phelan is the next author to be interrogated by the Boroondara Blogger!

What are you writing at the moment?

I’m working on the 4th book in the Lachlan Fox thriller series, titled LIQUID GOLD, to be published in August 2009. I’ve just recently finished writing my first teen novel, titled ALONE, which will come out some time in 2009.

Can you give us an idea of your typical writing day?

Get up at the crack of noon, walk down the street for a few coffees, then I get in front of my computer and write, usually in my home office. I’ll write anywhere from 6-10 hours each and every day of the year. When the deadline is looming, the hours grow longer.

What do you do when you’re not writing?

Sleeping! I think I’m always writing in some form, even if it’s taking notes or thinking or dreaming. Thinking time is most underrated.

Also, promoting the books takes up a fair bit of time.

Sometimes I hang around uni, chipping away at a PhD and teaching a class in the MA Writing program at Swinburne.

What are you reading right now?

“Shattered” by Michael Robotham, “Without Warning” by John Birmingham. “To kill a mockingbird” for the third time. “Novelists and Novels” by Harold Bloom.

What inspired you to start writing?

A love of reading and a passion for creating.

What are you writing plans for the future?

To write an adult novel and a teen novel each year for a while. I like the idea of being able to write with a view out to a raging ocean and with a faithful dog at my feet, although I’m not sure how much writing I’d get done in that setting.

Most satisfying writing moment?

Writing the final scene of any novel is a great moment.

Anything you would like to add?

Read more. We don’t read enough and life is far too short not to read good books.

Thanks James.

James is speaking at Balwyn Library on Wednesday October 22, 2008 at 7.30 pm.

Click here to book online or call 9278 4666

"The White Tiger" wins Man Booker Prize

Aravind Adiga has won the 40th Man Booker Prize for his debut novel The white tiger.

From the Man Booker website comes the following information about the winner.


Synopsis

Born in a village in heartland India, the son of a rickshaw puller, Balram is taken out of school by his family and put to work in a teashop. As he crushes coals and wipes tables, he nurses a dream of escape - of breaking away from the banks of Mother Ganga, into whose depths have seeped the remains of a hundred generations.

The White Tiger is a tale of two Indias. Balram’s journey from darkness of village life to the light of entrepreneurial success is utterly amoral, brilliantly irreverent, deeply endearing and altogether unforgettable.

Author Biography

Aravind Adiga was born in Madras in 1974 and was raised partly in Australia. He studied at Columbia and Oxford Universities. A former correspondent in India for TIME magazine, his articles have also appeared in publications like The Financial Times, The Independent, and The Sunday Times. He lives in Mumbai.


Click here for more info. on the Man Booker Prize.

Click here for the library catalogue.

Come fly with us - online travel

Do you like to travel?

Then join us in November for a session on how to make more use of the internet to assist in planning & booking your next trip away.

It will cover a wide range of sites for all aspects of travel such as comparing flight prices, booking flights and accommodation, how to find the right travel insurance for you, and safety tips regarding buying online.

This session is free, however bookings are essential.

When: Thursday 13 November at 2pm
Where: Kew Library, Cnr Cotham Road & Civic Drive, Kew
Phone: 9278 4666 or book online.

Davitt Awards

The awards season is well and truly upon us with the Davitt awards being announced last night.

Frantic, by Katherine Howell, won Sisters in Crime’s Davitt Awards for the best (adult) crime novel by an Australian woman in 2007.

The Davitt Awards were set up by Sisters in Crime in 2001 to celebrate the achievements of Australian women crime writers.

Other winners were:

Young Adult
The Night Has a Thousand Eyes
Mandy Sayer

True Crime
Killing Jodie How Australia's most elusive murderer was brought to justice
Janet Fife-Yeomans

Reader's choice
Scarlet Stiletto – The First Cut
edited by Lindy Cameron

The awards are named after Ellen Davitt (1812-1879) who wrote Australia’s first mystery novel, Force and Fraud, in 1865.

2008 Nobel prize in Literature

The Nobel Prize in Literature for 2008 is awarded to the French writer Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio

"author of new departures, poetic adventure and sensual ecstasy, explorer of a humanity beyond and below the reigning civilization".


Find out more about the 2008 Nobel prize winners here.

Q & A with Hazel Edwards

As part of our Stop.Write.Now series we asked our authors a few questions - here's what Hazel Edwards had to say.

Q1. What are you writing at the moment?

Because I write for children AND adults, I always have about five simultaneous projects at different stages. Currently I’m finalising the 10th version text for picture book ‘Hurrah, There’s a Hippo on the Roof Having a Birthday Party’ out next year with Penguin to celebrate the 30th anniversary. Sydney based Illustrator Deborah Niland and I have had lots of emails this week regarding the gender and age of the child and whether the hippo will be on roof or ground due to OHS qualms! Readers assume that short books can be done quickly, but there’s actually more work behind every word in a picture book.

‘Let Me Eat Cake,’ says Roof Top Hippo’ is my unconventional Q and A based on fan letters to the hippo character.I’m going to put instalments up on my website and maybe consider later print publication. This is quirky ,fun writing from the viewpoint of an anti-bureaucratic hippo.

As part of a China-Aust Electronic Writer in Residency, organised by Australian Aileen Hall who is currently Principal at a Nanjing International School, I’ve been working with Templeton Primary on ‘Easy Over, The School Turtle’ picture book which is translated into Mandarin to swap with the Nanjing International School, who are creating a comparable English-Chinese school story, based on my sleuth characters from ‘Gang O Kids’ which is about children who solve non violent mysteries on site. Also working with Highvale Primary about their sleuths Hi and Vale and the Sanctuary Saga based on their animal sanctuary garden. Gang O Kids is set against an orienteering background, which is a sport in which my family has been involved and many schools are using it in literacy programs because students like to create their own active plots based on the character dossiers at the front of the book. Recently Alice Springs students created an extra, Jo an indigenous tracker kid for their Alice based story around the Gang O Kids sleuths

I write a monthly Writing a Non Boring Family History online column for aboutseniors and wrote about using family history in the writing of eulogies because I’d been to many funerals recently. My website also has a section on How To Write articles because I get so many requests on technique from new writers of all ages.

‘Making a Killing at the Pokies’ is a satirical performance script about pokies addiction which has had one dramatised reading, but I’m looking for a community group to perform it.

An international Travelling Exhibition for the 30th anniversary of the Hippo has been proposed and I have to collect support material for that.

My ‘Fake ID’ a cyber family history mystery is being translated into Tamil at the University of Madras and I’ve been asked to Chennai in India next year and also to Nanjing where several of my books are being translated into Chinese.

Out this month, ‘The Flight of the Bumblebee’ DVD of audio (read by Antonia Kidman) music, story and printed book has been a delightful classical ‘Music Box’ project in which to be involved.I was commissioned to write a new story for the wellknown Rimskay Korsakov music, and the sound flooded my study for weeks.Loved that.

Q2. Can you give us an idea of your typical writing week ?

Readers image authors write new stories all the time. Probably only about 30% of my time is ‘new’ original writing.

On average I probably spend about 50 hours per week on author related work, but some of it is really fun, like autographing books, meeting readers or doing quirky activities in connection with my children’s book characters. Like driving up the freeway with a large hippo strapped in the passenger seat. Participant observation research is a fascinating and necessary part of writing realistic backgrounds so I visit places and interview ‘experts’ on subjects as diverse as pyrotechnics, plumbers, platypus and pokies gambling.

The reality is that I have 180 published books, and so, much of my time is spend in the ‘administrivia’ of the marketing , publicity, legal and business side of being an author.. I get hundreds of fan e-mail (which I answer) and requests for project information ( those answers are on my website) but also international and local requests for talks or interviews. In writing answers to a blog like this I try to answer in a way which is relevant for you, but that I can also use again.That’s why I have generic ‘How To Write’articles which can be downloaded from my website and which have been written in response to earlier requests.

I teach ‘Writing for Children’ and ‘Non Fiction Projects’ at Holmesglen TAFE in the Diploma of Professional Writing and enjoy seeing those adult students place their work. A couple of them have had family history based projects and being required to produce a weekly chapter for workshopping is good discipline to get their books finished. We share a champagne when they have a success. Alcoholic or non alcoholic.

Whenever I have new book out, such as ‘The Flight of the Bumblebee’ I do interviews and talks and occasionally writing workshops for adults or children, depending upon the title. The Gang O Kids workshops , where the participants create mysteries on site have been very popular.

I also speak at conferences and recently gave a keynote at Latrobe Uni in Bendigo about multi-media from an author’s perspective. This included Braille and Auslan signed DVDs for deaf children.

Sometimes organisations approach me with writing projects and sometimes I initiate my own.

I just finished a project with the Royal Children’s Hospital on health-related ‘magabooks’ which are midway between magazines and books in design but have lots of medical factual content presented in an accessible way for mid primary. So I’ve learnt a lot about gender, nutrition, obesity, diabetes etc recently.

Q3. What do you do when you are not writing?

Swimming, bellydancing, reading , travelling and meals with friends and family.My 9 year old grandson is here often, and he recently taught me DanceFit’ which was very energetic.

Each month I try to do something new, so I won’t be boring in my old age. In 2001 I went on an Antarctic expedition as writer , and have been entranced by icebergs ever since.An iceberg is like writing a book, only one tenth of the work shows. This month I went to a jewellery auction, to observe , not buy. Participant observation, where I do in order to write accurately, enriches the life of an author.

Q4. What are you reading right now?

I often listen to audio books in my car. Enjoyed ones by Inga Clendinnen and Liz Bryski recently.

Q7. Anything you would like to add?

Hazel Edwards
www.hazeledwards.com
Latest Books: Gang-O Kids
Cycling Solo:Ireland to Istanbul
Outback Ferals
Red Day (Chinese translation)
Coming:
Flight of the Bumblebee DVD
Script Solutions (classroom plays)
Dramatics

Thanks Hazel.

Hazel is speaking about Writing a non-boring family history at Hawthorn Library on Thursday 30 October @ 7.30 pm.

Q & A with David Metzenthen

As part of our Stop.Write.Now series we asked our authors a few questions - here's what David Metzenthen had to say.

1. What are you writing at the moment?

I’m working on three projects: Jarvis 24, a novel for teenagers set in Camberwell, 2008, about two boys and a very fast-running girl. Hide That Horse, a little story for little readers about a little horse who comes to town because of the drought… and The Really Wet and Wild Canoe Ride, for primary school-aged readers… oh, and I’m doing preliminary research for an adult novel set in Port Melbourne.

2. Can you give us an idea of your typical writing day?

My average writing day is to walk the dog, get the kids to school, start at nine fifteen, work until three or four or five depending - then abandon the mission.

3. What do you do when you're not writing?

3 When I’m not writing I’m a struggling parent like everyone else. I do like trying to keep fit and I really like fly-fishing. I read and try to do some kind of low-key travel. Also I’m trying to improve my surfing, master basic French, and I love Melbourne and footy.

4. What are you reading write now?

. I’m currently reading Paul Theroux’s new travel book, Ghost Train To The Eastern Star. It’s interesting and funny. I highly recommend it, as I like train travel, and checking out other places and people.

5. What inspired you to start writing?

. I was inspired to write by my imaginings of what the world might offer. I wanted to be a cowboy, so you can see where I’m coming from. I find people and the world interesting, and so instead of living adventures, to an extent, I decided that writing about the world might do as a job. I admire anyone who tries to do anything as well as they can; writing offers a chance to work hard at something that I value.

6. What are your writing plans for the future?

My plans for my writing future are to try and always write at the highest level I’m capable of.

7. With regards to your writing career to date, would you do anything differently?

I wouldn’t change my writing career to date. I feel I’ve been extremely fortunate, and lucky, and have enjoyed the help of many people to publish my novels and stories. I’ve really liked the journey. I’ve been able to select projects that interest me, and to see them come to fruition has been kind of miraculous!

Thanks David.

Hear David speak at Ashburton Library on Monday 13 October @ 7.30 pm. Book here or phone 9278 4666.

System Upgrade 6th & 7th October.

Due to a system upgrade Boroondara Libraries will be operating on a

limited service on the 6th & 7th October.

During this period:

· Borrowers must have their library card present to borrow or renew any items.

· Items to be renewed must be brought into the library.

· The library catalogue will be out of service.

· Reservations cannot be placed.

We apologise for the inconvenience.

LibraryLink Victoria (LLV) is now available.

Thank you for your patience during this upgrade.

Library Link Victoria (LLV)

Just a reminder that LLV will be unavailable from 5pm today due to a system upgrade.

It is expected that LLV will be offline until Friday 3rd October.

We apologise for any inconvenience.

ART DECO 1910-1939

ART DECO 1910-1939
National Gallery of Victoria
28 June – 5 October 2008

If the enormous crowd attending the NGV International on the Wednesday evening leading up to the final week of the Art Deco 1910-1939 exhibition was anything to go by, then this was another success in our National Gallery’s block-buster events calendar. Of course it was a reminder that it is ill-advised to leave it until the last minute to head to the Gallery for a big show; this one had been the most popular programme ever held at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and it appears Melbourne had similarly embraced it!

Immediately the Art Deco style greeted us as we walked through the special lit-up entrance columns to the gallery doors. A “buzz” was generated from the crowd in the foyer area which increased as tables full of people talking and drinking wine extended into the Great Hall. The line waiting for tickets wound up and down like a huge python; it probably turned off a number of people who decided not to persevere with something possibly resembling a queue for Grand Finals tickets.

Into the exhibition space and it was again a dense line on all sides as we shuffled past display cases. Seen as mere glimpses, there was a tantalising representation of the style in furniture, jewellery, ceramics, art and photography, industrial design, architecture, fashion and textile design, household items and, for this visitor, the surprise of beautifully bound books decorated in rich Art Deco covers.

At the City of Boroondara Library Service we might not have examples of these exquisitely tooled leather volumes, but we do have many books on Art Deco that can be borrowed and longingly pored over at home. If you didn’t get to the exhibition, the catalogue is available for loan. Whether it is our museums or wonderful galleries that you have enjoyed visiting, it is worth following up special interests at the libraries.

In the week of the Grand Final and school holidays, the NGV was also infused with the excitement of the city. It is impossible to give a fair account of the exhibition because the experience was so coloured by the crush of people and noise (just like a Grand Final?) but the style, sophistication, opulence and beauty of Art Deco left its elegant impression.

Online Photo Albums

Do you have a digital camera and like to take snapshots of the family?

Want to know what to do next?

Then come along to this session which introduces you to:

• Saving photos to online photo albums
• Sharing your photos with family and friends
• Editing and playing with your photos
• Despatching photos for printing

We will have a live demonstration of various online photo applications and talk about the dos and the don’ts.

This session is free, however bookings are essential.

When: Tuesday 7 October at 2pm
Where: Kew Library, Phyllis Hore Meeting Room, Cnr Cotham Road & Civic Drive, Kew
Phone: 9278 4666 or book online

Stop. Write. Now. Hazel Edwards

The fourth in a series of talks presented by the City of Boroondara Library Service

Hazel Edwards: Writing a non-boring history

Hazel will present a session for those contemplating or doing their family histories.

She writes:

“recently, ‘family history’ surpassed stamp-collecting as the favourite hobby internationally. Many family historians did not originally set out to write a book. Initially they enjoyed collecting family letters, facts and memorabilia and then became interested in preserving their family’s past in a tangible way. Since most historians are looking for ‘why?’ things happened, there is a personal satisfaction in assembling the answer in a format which others will want to read. To do justice to your intriguing ancestors, in a non-boring way, is a challenge.”

Hazel Edwards is a Melbourne based author who writes books and scripts for children and adults.

This session is free, however bookings are essential.

When: Thursday 30 October at 7.30pm
Where: Hawthorn Library Meeting Room, 584 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn
Phone: 9278 4666 or book online

Stop. Write. Now. James Phelan - Thriller

A series of talks presented by the City of Boroondara Library Service

James Phelan - Thriller

James Phelan was born in Melbourne. As a teenager he discovered a love of thrillers, of being entertained and informed on topical global events. James cites influences from reading such authors as Alistair MacLean, Clive Cussler, Jeffery Archer, Ken Follett, Tom Clancy, Jack Higgins, Robert Ludlum, John LeCarre, and Jeffery Deaver.

In 1995 James started his first novel for his VCE English assignment. A thriller involving a terrorist attack on the 2000 Sydney Olympics, James eventually abandoned the storyline when Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six was published in 1998. While this storyline died, the lead protagonists of Lachlan Fox and Alister Gammaldi did not, and James went in search of another introductory tale.

Fox Hunt, Phelan's first fiction release, was released in August 2006. The story is set as a bridge between the aftermath of the Cold War and the perilous age of the War on Terrorism, with Lachlan and his best friend thrown unwittingly into a war that crosses time.

Patriot Act, the second instalment in the adventures of Lachlan Fox, was released in August 2007. Set mainly in New York city and France, it tells the story of Lachlan Fox investigating a series of murders in Europe that are linked to a pending hack on the NSA's computers.

The third Lachlan Fox instalment Blood Oil was published in September 2008.

This session is free, however bookings are essential.

When: Wednesday 22 October at 7.30pm
Where: Balwyn Library, 336 Whitehorse Road, Balwyn
Phone: 9278 4666 or book online

Prime Minister’s Literary Awards - Winners announced.

The Prime Minister, the Honourable Kevin Rudd AM has announced the two 2008 winners of the new Prime Minister’s Literary Awards.

The Fiction winner is Steven Conte for his novel The zookeeper's war.

"A story of passion and sacrifice in a city battered by war. It is 1943 and each night in a bomb shelter beneath the Berlin Zoo an Australian woman, Vera, shelters with her German husband, Axel, the zoo’s director. As tensions mount in the closing days of the war, nothing, and no one, it seems, can be trusted.
The Zookeeper’s War is a powerful novel of a marriage, and of a city collapsing. It confronts not only the brutality of war but the possibility of heroism. (Fourth Estate)"

The Non-fiction winner is Philip Jones for Ochre and rust: artefacts and encounters

on Australia's frontiers.

"Ochre and Rust takes Aboriginal artefacts from their museum shelves and traces their stories, revealing charged and nuanced moments of encounter in Australia’s frontier history. Philip Jones positions them at the centre of these gripping, poignant tales, transporting the reader into the heart of Australia's frontier zone.
Ochre and Rust builds incrementally, resulting in a convincing new insight into our frontier past and the motives of its characters. (Wakefield Press)"

Click here for more information on the Prime Minister's Literary Awards.

Click here to go to the library catalogue

Stop. Write. Now. David Metzenthen - Children's & Teenage

The second in a series of talks presented by the City of Boroondara Library Service

David Metzenthen - Children's & teenage

David will discuss his personal approach to writing teenage and children fiction. Writing for children might seem easy but David will talk you through getting started, overcoming writer’s block and how to capture the imagination of young readers. Writing for children can be rewarding and full of surprises. David says ‘I guess I try to present stories that could happen in the real world—so when I write I work very hard to create ‘people’ rather than ‘characters’’.

David is an award winning author and has written numerous novels for children and teenagers. He also writes for the Aussie Nibbles, Bites and Chomps series.

This session is free, however bookings are essential.

When: Monday 13 October 7.30pm
Where: Ashburton Library, 154 High Street, Ashburton
Phone: 9278 4666 or book online

2008 Man Booker shortlist announced

Last night the shortlist for the Man Booker Prize 2008 was announced.

The shortlisted novels are:

Aravind Adiga The White Tiger

Sebastian Barry The Secret Scripture

Amitav Ghosh Sea of Poppies

Linda Grant The Clothes on Their Backs

Philip Hensher The Northern Clemency

Steve Toltz A Fraction of the Whole - Australian Author

***

Check the library catalogue here

To read more about the Man Booker prize click here

Stop.Write.Now. Nicola Marsh - Romance

The first in a series of talks presented by the City of Boroondara Library Service

Nicola Marsh - Romance

Nicola will be talking about how to write romance and get published!

The inspiration for her first novel, THE TYCOON'S DATING DEAL, came from a magazine article on speed-dating and she sold this book in May 2003. It won the CataRomance Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Harlequin Romance 2004.

Nicola currently writes for Harlequin Mills and Boon Romance and Modern Heat/Presents series, has published 17 books and sold over a million copies worldwide.

Nicola loves the hip, vibrant, cosmopolitan vibe of her home city, Melbourne, where she's set the bulk of her novels, highlighting fabulous cultural and food havens like Acland Street (St. Kilda), Brunswick Street (Fitzroy) and Lygon Street (Carlton).

This session is free, however bookings are essential.

When: Wednesday 8 October at 11am
Where: Kew Library, Cnr Cotham Road & Civic Drive, Kew
Phone: 9278 4666 or book online

Pearls of Wisdom from the Melbourne Writer's Festival ...

By Hannercymraes*

First, a quote:

Truth in her dress finds facts too tight. In fiction she moves with ease. (Tagore)

The experiences you write about can be quite ordinary. If you write about the ordinary with intensity and feeling it comes alive. (Alice Pung).

Don’t tell the reader a character’s feelings. Give them a way of seeing it, feeling it, hearing it. Arnold Zable, illustrated this by citing an example from a student he was teaching who hated writing.

Zable asked the kid what he did on the weekend.

He said: ‘Surfing.’

‘What was it like,’ Zable asked.

The kid said: ‘Awesome.’

Zabel asked him: ‘What was so awesome about it?’

The kid said: ‘Words can’t describe it.’

After a bit of too-ing and fro-ing, Zable said: ‘Close your eyes. Imagine you are on a surf board. Tell me what you see?’

The kid said: ‘The water is a wall like glass shimmering. (I can’t remember the exact words but it was very poetic).

Zable said: ‘Tell me what you hear?’

‘I hear wind rushing through a tunnel.'

‘Tell me what you feel?’

‘I rise on wings like a bird, flying.’

Zable then asked us. Do I need to tell you how he is feeling?

Tim Winton was asked what story model he used when plotting. He said he does not use any. Which is all very well, if you are a genius but not very useful for a pleb like me.

Robert Muchamore, a children’s writer, was inspired to write by his nephew who could not find anything to read. He said, the nephew still hadn’t read his books.

What did I learn from this? You can't please everyone.

Muchamore personally thanked us, the volunteers, for our assistance. I will be recommending his books heavily in future.

Emily Rodda talked about finding ideas in the ordinary, everyday and how they became fantasy. One such example came from watching a wasp drag a paralysed spider into its mud nest and sealing it inside for its young to eat. The children were delighted to recall an instance in which some of her characters were trapped in a mud cave.

Melina Marchetta said her stories always start with character and grow from there.

Lili Wilkinson said she writes a ‘zero draft,’ a draft that no one gets to see. From that she learns what she wants to write about and builds the ‘first’ draft.

Lili read Trixie Belden books as a child (among other things). She also used to chew her books. She showed us examples of books that had most definitely been munched. Remind me to check if she is one of our library patrons and suspend her membership.

John Marsden writes with the TV on in the background. He read Enid Blyton books as a child (yeah). I admired his honesty. He is a born storyteller. He is also a teacher. He directed one of his comments at some boys who were reading from a newspaper(ouch!).

Margo Lanagan likes an envirnoment free from distractions.

In Kate Mosse’s session I put my hand up and asked my first ever Writing Festival question. I attribute this newfound courage to my job share partner Philippa. She told me you get more out of a conference if you read the latest book of each speaker. I have spent the last week reading Labyrinth and have Sepulchre in my TBR pile.

Mosse’s books have two stories, a historical one and a modern one, intertwined and interlinked, but distinct. I asked if she wrote them separately or wove them together as she wrote.

She explained that she wrote the historical strand first, then the modern one, to keep their voices distinct. Then she went back and put them together, crafting cutting and shaping. Finally she wrote the last ten chapters, tying up all the stands and links.

I was pleased with her answer because it is how I imagined I would tackle it. More important by far was that immediately I asked the question, she looked up into the crowd, beyond the spotlights and asked:

‘Are you a writer?’

I called out: ‘A wannabe.’

She said: ‘Well, that is a good question, a writer’s question, and good luck with your book.’

It was the highlight of the festival for me.

***
* Hannercymraes is a Youth Services Librarian and emerging writer.

Diary of a Festival Volunteer

By Hannercymraes*

A few months ago, I put my name down to help at the Melbourne Writer’s Festival. I can only say that on the day I sent that fateful email I must have been feeling uncharacteristically energetic. For as my son said when I outlined the scheme to him.

‘But Mum, you find a normal week pretty hard going. Whatever were you thinking?’

My desire to be part of Melbourne’s premier literary event was not, however, as unrealistic as it first appears. There would be no TAFE that week. I had planned to take annual leave for my library work and to give myself over to the festival completely. That was before I found out I was unable to take annual leave.

The problem with my leave was two-fold. Firstly, another of my colleagues had requested leave for that week. Secondly, the remainder of my colleagues were going to the festival as part of their professional development, you know ... getting paid for it.

Then I found out that the festival coincides with the greatly anticipated visit of my brother and his family. Okay, so now I was going to be working and volunteering as well as picking my brother and his family up from the airport at 12:40 am Thursday morning.

I should have probably quit at that stage and, after weeping into my pillow, sent an, I regret to inform you, letter to the festival organisers.

Instead I became stubborn and unrealistic.

‘Look, it is going to be a busy week,’ I said to my family. ‘But I really want to do this.’ All the time I was thinking: I must be a complete and utter muggins.

My husband compounded my inner sense of inner idiocy by saying: ‘I doubt anyone ever goes from being a volunteer to being an author.’

Of course, I wasn't doing it for that reason (well, not only that reason).

‘Why was I doing it?’ That was the question I asked myself as my alarm shrilled early Saturday morning. Of course, once I saw the Red Beret I would be wearing, I added an ‘F word’ to my original sentence.

I have been assigned to BMW Edge a glorious venue in Federation square. After collecting tickets, volunteers are free to attend each session until it finishes. I have spent most of my time perched on the back bench of the BMW Edge looking out over the Yarra and listening. I have also carried the roving microphone around to various students during question time.

On Saturday I went to a reading by Age Book of the Year winners. A highlight was hearing Tim Winton read from his most recent novel, Breath. He read beautifully. Don Watson and Jan Harry were also fantastic. Monday evening, I sat in on a VCE session focussing on the film, Look Both Ways. I had not seen the movie but my son is studying it for VCE. Last night I perused his copy. It was inspiring, especially as I had just heard the writer and actor speak.

This morning I heard Robert Muchamore and Emily Rodda speak. At the end of Robert Muchamore’s session a teacher came up to me with a lone student. He had an email from one of the festival organisers indicating the student would be able to meet Roberts Muchamore. As the festival organizer in question was nowhere to be seen, I took the lad over to where the author was signing. Muchamore’s assistant was happy to arrange a meeting.

As I turned to leave, a petite woman in a pink poncho approached me. She had copy of The Shadow Thief by Alexandra Ardonetto in her hand. She said she could not wait in line because she had to go to the Green Room (the author’s waiting room). She asked could I please get it signed for her. I explained that I was not actually supposed to be standing in the author’s signing queue but promised to see what I could do. ‘Ah, before you go,’ I called out, as she hurried off. ‘Who would you like her to sign it to?’

‘My name is Melina,’ she said. ‘Melina Marchetta.’

My eyes flew open. I know that is a cliché line but I felt it happening. Standing there with my eyes like saucers I whispered: ‘I love your books.’

Thankfully at this stage my Liz-you-are-being-a-loser radar started beeping. I shut up and went in search of Alexandra Ardonetto.

Just in case you have never heard of Alexandra Ardonetto she is a Melbourne girl who signed a three-book-deal when she was only fourteen years of age. Can you imagine how I felt approaching her in my red beret and Crew T Shirt. Asking her to sign a book for Melina Marchetta and hoping she would do it quickly so that I wouldn’t get in trouble for being there, in line, instead of collecting tickets, or picking up rubbish, or directing people to the box office or the toilets.

I felt like an earwig.

Alexandra was sitting next to Alice Pung, author of Unpolished Gem. When I told Alexandra, Melina Marchetta wanted her autograph there was an audible gasp from both girls. Alice turned to Alexandra and said: ‘Oh, Alex, that’s fantastic.'

And it was.

When I took the book to Melina Marchetta in the Green Room, I felt like a fairy Godmother. Even now, as I sit here writing this blog, I find myself grinning stupidly.

I am telling you, now. I will volunteer again next year and count it a privilege.

*****
* Hannercymraes is a Youth Services Librarian and emerging writer.

2008 Victorian Premier's Literary Award winners announced

The winners of the 2008 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards were announced last night.

The Vance Palmer Prize for Fiction
The Spare Room by Helen Garner

The Nettie Palmer Prize for Non-fiction
The Ferocious Summer: Palmer's Penguins and the Warming of Antarctica by Meredith Hooper

The CJ Dennis Prize for Poetry
Press Release by Lisa Gorton

The Louis Esson Prize for Drama
"When the Rain Stops Falling" by Andrew Bovell

The Prize for Young Adult Fiction
Tomorrow All Will Be Beautiful by Brigid Lowry

The Prize for a First Book of History
The Lamb Enters the Dreaming: Nathanael Pepper and the Ruptured World by Robert Kenny

The Alfred Deakin Prize for an Essay Advancing Public Debate
"Trapped in the Aboriginal Reality Show" by Marcia Langton (Griffith Review)

The Prize for Indigenous Writing
Anonymous Premonition by Yvette Holt

The Prize for the Best Music Theatre Script
"The Wild Blue" by Anthony Crowley (St. Martins Theatre)

The Prize for an Unpublished Manuscript by an Emerging Victorian Writer
Going Finish by Mandy Maroney

The Grollo Ruzzene Foundation Prize for Writing about Italians in Australia
Head Over Heel by Chris Harrison

The John Curtin Prize for Journalism
"Out of Control: The Tragedy of Tasmania's Forests" by Richard Flanagan (The Monthly)

Click here for more info about the awards (including the judges' reports)

Click here to go to the Library catalogue

Ned Kelly Award winners announced

The 2008 Ned Kelly Awards (which recognise excellence in Australian crime writing) were presented in Melbourne on Friday 29th August, as part of the Melbourne Writers Festival.

The winners were:

Fiction
Shatter by Michael Robotham

First Novel
The Low Road by Chris Womersley

Non-Fiction
Red Centre, Dead Heart by Evan McHugh

Lifetime Achievement
Marele Day

Click here for more info on the Ned Kelly Awards (including past winners)

Click here to go to the library catalogue

New Phone System: Teething Problems

The City of Boroondara is currently installing a new Council-wide VOIP telephone system. Library Services was the first area of Council to go live this weekend. Unfortunately, we are currently experiencing a number of problems with our external lines with customers. We apologize for any inconvenience we are causing customers while these issues are resolved.

Victorian Premier's Literary Awards 2008

The prestigious Victorian Premier's Literary Awards will be announced at a dinner at Zinc in Federation Square on Monday 1 September. The Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards were established in 1985 by John Cain, the Premier of Victoria at that time, to mark the centenary of the births of Vance and Nettie Palmer. John Cain is now President of the Library Board of Victoria.

These awards have grown greatly since the first few award categories in 1985. The categories for the 2008 awards are as follows:

2008 Awards

The Vance Palmer Prize for Fiction
The Nettie Palmer Prize for Non-fiction
The Prize for Young Adult Fiction
The Prize for an Unpublished Manuscript by an Emerging Victorian Writer
The CJ Dennis Prize for Poetry
The Louis Esson Prize for Drama
The Alfred Deakin Prize for an Essay Advancing Public Debate
The Prize for a First Book of History
The Prize for Indigenous Writing
The John Curtin Prize for Journalism
The Prize for Best Music Theatre Script
The Grollo Ruzzene Foundation Prize for Writing about Italians in Australia

To see all the titles which are shortlisted for 2008, read here.

New Library Phone Number!

From today, 30 August 2008, the City of Boroondara Library Service will have a new telephone number. It's 9278 4666. So in future if you want to ring the library service or any of our branches, you just need to remember the one number. How easy is that! So remember:

9278 4666

Melbourne - Unesco City of Literature

Melbourne has been named the second Unesco City of Literature. The timing of the announcement is apt as the Melbourne Writers Festival begins today.

Edinburgh became the first City of Literature chosen by the United Nations' cultural arm in 2004.

For more info about the City of Literature click here.

New Youth Services Blog

Last night was the grand finale of the About the Boys About the Girls series, entitled About us All - Crossing Boundaries. John Marsden and Anna Ciddor took it in turns to discuss the gender issue in writing for children and young adults, as well as discussing writing in general and the way in which they approach their writing. The evening was very interesting and a great hit with the audience who enjoyed hearing about the very different way in which authors plan (or not, in the case of John!) and write their books.

We also launched our new Youth Blog last night, it is called About the Books and the web address is www.aboutthebooks.blogspot.com. There is a link from our website as well.

Check it out for all the news and reviews from the Youth Services Team.

The 2008 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards

Short list for Fiction

• Burning In Mireille Juchau
• El Dorado Dorothy Porter
• Jamaica: A novel Malcolm Knox
• Sorry Gail Jones
• The Complete Stories David Malouf
• The Widow and Her Hero Tom Keneally
• The Zookeeper’s War Steven Conte

Short list for Non-fiction

• A History of Queensland Raymond Evans
• Cultural Amnesia: Notes in the Margin of My Time Clive James
• My Life as a Traitor Zarah Ghahramani with Robert Hillman
• Napoleon: The Path to Power, 1769–1799 Philip Dwyer
• Ochre and Rust: Artefacts and Encounters on Australian Frontiers Philip Jones
• Shakespeare’s Wife Germaine Greer
• Vietnam: The Australian War Paul Ham

The Australian Government has introduced the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards to recognise the major contribution of Australian literature to the nation’s cultural and intellectual life.

The awards offer a tax free prize of $100,000 for both a fiction and non-fiction work judged to be of the highest literary merit in each category.

For more information or to subscribe to the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards e-newsletter click here.

To check the library catalogue click here.