Readings February Sale Saturday 14 - Monday 23 February, at All Readings Shops up to 50% Off Selected Books, Cds and Dvds
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FREE FEBRUARY 2009 Readings Monthly your independent book, music and dVd newsletter • eVents • new releases • reViews (HAMISH HAMILTON) BUTTERFLY COVER IMAGE FROM SONYA HARTNETT'S NEW NOVEL HARTNETT'S COVER IMAGE FROM SONYA Sonya Hartnett's Butterfly >> p 8 Readings February Sale Saturday 14 - Monday 23 February, at all Readings shops Up to 50% off selected books, CDs and DVDs February event highlights. More Readings events inside >> ALEXANDER PETER SINGER TERRY DENTON MCCALL SMITH AT THE SIDNEY AT READINGS AT READINGS MYER ASIA CENTRE PORT MELBOURNE HAWTHORN All Shops Open 7 Days Carlton 309 Lygon St 9347 6633 Hawthorn 701 Glenferrie Rd 9819 1917 Malvern 185 Glenferrie Rd 9509 1952 Port Melbourne 253 Bay St 9681 9255 St Kilda 112 Acland St 9525 3852 email [email protected] shop online at www.readings.com.au The October with Eric Dando’s first York Times recently published a 2008 BESTSELLERS novel in ten years, the satirical list of Obama’s favourite books, We like to tot CWatercoolerOSTA AWARD Oink Oink Oink (Hunter, PB, which included: All the King’s up our bestsell- SHORTLIST $29.95). Next month, Sleep- Men (Warren Robert Penn, ers for the year. The first round ers Publishing will be releasing Penguin Classics, PB, $24.95), The results for of awards have their first long-awaited novel, considered 'the finest novel ever 2008 were a very been announced Steven Amsterdam’s Things written about American pleasant surprise for Britain’s We Didn’t See Coming, a book politics'; Moby Dick (Herman with Australian Costa Awards that a certain Readings staff Melville, OUP Classics, PB, authors, (formerly known member (I won’t name names, $12.95); Working: People Talk musicians and filmmakers as the Whit- Martin Shaw) has been raving About What They Do All Day occupying the top spots for the breads). The best about since they first saw the And How They Feel About What first time ever. Breath by Tim novel winner was Sebastian manuscript some months ago. They Do (New Press, PB, $37), Winton was number one (3018 Barry for The Secret Scripture I haven’t heard this much buzz by fellow Chicagoian and copies), followed by Gurrumul (Faber, PB, $32.95); biography since a certain someone couldn’t acclaimed oral historian Studs by Geoffrey Gurrumul winner was former publisher stop talking about an unknown Terkel; 1903 classic The Souls of Yunupingu (2212 copies) and Diana Athill for Somewhere writer named Nam Le! Sleepers Black Folk (W.E.B. Du Bois, The First Australians, produced Towards the End (Granta, HB, will follow it up in April with Random, HB, $33.95) and Toni and directed by Rachel Perkins $35); best first novel was The Brendan Gullifer’s Sold. Affirm Morrison’s Song of Solomon (770 copies) was third. And Outcast by Sadie Jones (Chatto Press, headed by former Big Issue (Vintage, PB, $27.95). And, of another Christmas success was & Windus, PB, $32.95); the editor Martin Hughes, has been course, Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Christos Tsiolkas's The Slap. poetry prize went to The Broken around for over a year now, but Team of Rivals, which will be Digging deeper, sadly Australian Word (Adam Foulds, Jonathan they’ll mark their first entry into reissued in a special edition this productions are not so common Cape, PB, $32.95); and fiction mid-2009, with a satirical month (Penguin, PB, $29.95), in music or film, but in books Michelle Magorian, author of novel about a world-famous famously informed Obama’s most of our top sellers were children’s classic Goodnight travel publishing company. decision to name Hillary Australian. It appears that we are Mister Tom, won the children’s (Who could that be?!) Former Clinton as his Secretary of State. very keen to read our own award for Just Henry (Egmont, Text editor and current Triple More titles from Obama’s stories, but our film and music PB, $19.95). The overall winner R Breakfasters host Michael reading list are online at http:// are left behind. will receive £50,000, while the Williams has come on board as www.readings.com.au/collec- category winners each receive associate publisher of the new tion/barack-obama-s-reading- AUSTRALIA DAY £5000. A not unwelcome fiction list. He’s looking at ‘all list. HONOURS windfall in these tough econom- genres and literary novels with The Australia Day Honours list ic times, I imagine. At least one commercial potential.’ BABIES AND BATHWATER contained the names some well- of the contenders will appreciate Speaking of presidents and deserving friends of Readings the extra cash. The day before OBAMA’S FAVOURITE reading lists ... In a frankly – Kim Beazley, who opened the awards were announced, BOOKS bizarre call, a Washington state the (now not so) new Readings 91-year-old Diana Athill told Obama fever high school teacher has made a Carlton in 1998, Julian Burn- The Guardian: “If I don't win, I shows no signs public plea for high schools to side QC, author, human rights won't really mind not having the of abating, eradicate all novels that repeat- activist and a regular speaker at acclaim, it's not getting the either in the US edly ‘use the “N-word”’ from Readings events and Richard money that I will mind. Because (where his their curricula, now that Barack Divall, conductor and former I'm always terribly broke, and approval rating Obama is president. ‘These judge of the Readings/3MBS how wonderful it would be to stands at an books are old, and we’re ready Composers Award. We would get that lovely cheque.” Indeed. amazing 85% at for new’, says John Foley about like to congratulate them all on time of writing) or over here. In American classics like Harper their well-deserved awards. NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK the literary community, one of Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Is there something in the water? the things we love about Obama Mark Twain’s The Adventures Melbourne seems to be a breed- is that, at last, here is an of Huckleberry Finn and John ing ground for fiction publishers American president who reads! Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. lately, with a plethora of start- (Unlike George W. Bush, whose I guess he hasn’t heard that old ups boasting first novels this infamous photograph of him chestnut about the fate of those year. The fledgling Hunter Pub- ‘reading’ an upside-down book who forget history ... lishers kicked off the trend last seemed to say it all.) The New CINEMA NOVA RECOMMENDS A drama set in the cultural aftermath KATE WINSLET RALPH FIENNES of Nazi Germany, based on the powerful FROZEN RIVER bestseller by Bernhard Schlink. Director Courtney Hunt creates a complex setting of desperation, risk, Directed by Stephen Daldry. and gritty social realism in her award winning directorial debut about WINNER! smuggling, anchored by a stellar performance from Melissa Leo. Best Supporting Actress, Kate Winslet. Golden Globe Awards “A tense, wrenching, edge of the seat thriller” “A Masteriece!” Thelma Adams, US Weekly New York Observer. The Reader FEBRUARY 16 FEBRUARY 16 Make a purchase at Readings for your chance C I N E M A 380 LYGON ST CARLTON to receive one of 25 double passes to either film. www.cinemanova.com.au 2 ThisLiterary news of all kinds,Month’s award winners, News give-aways, Readings shop news, and more. READINGS AnTHOLOGY: days of its original publication. favourite authors. Join us at the Asked Questions from www. CALL foR BooKISH The free marketers argue the Carlton store during the first expressmedia.org.au. Entries MEMORIES! laws make books more expensive two weeks of February to take a close 24 April 2009. Back in December we asked: and harder to get here. Books look at publications by Austra- Was your first job at Readings are often more expensive in lia’s finest indie publishers, SLEEPERS ALMANAC in the heady days of 1970s Australia simply because of the including: Meanjin, Overland, LAUNCH Carlton? Did you meet your cost of freight and the fact that Wet Ink, Torpedo, Harvest, To kick-start the husband via the share house ac- there is GST on books. Affirm Press, Transit Lounge, year, the Sleepers commodation notices? Did you Removal of the restrictions and many more. It’s a great Almanac No. 5 find the book that changed your wouldn't change that but would opportunity to get a taste of (PB, $24.95) is life on the Readings Famous Re- mean that Australian authors Australia’s most innovative hot off the press mainder Table? Do you have any and publishers would find it quality publishing and to sneak and ready to be photos/memorabilia/ephemera hard to justify the intellectual a glimpse at the future of celebrated. related to Readings stashed away and financial investment they Australian writing. Melburnians, in the back of a cupboard – how make to publish books in this please come along to the Trades MELBOURNE CHAMBER about a receipt for the original country. Other book markets Hall Bar on the corner of Lygon ORCHESTRA hardback of Monkey Grip? If so, such as the USA, UK and and Victoria Streets, Carlton we want to hear from you! Canada have similar laws re- The Melbourne (now enter via Lygon Street) on As part of our 40th Birthday stricting which editions may be Chamber Thursday 12 February, 6pm till Celebrations this year we’ll be imported. As booksellers, we feel Orchestra 8pm. At the launch, there will publishing the Readings Anthol- that Australian readers have the provides the be readings, shenanigans, and ogy, a collection of writing by right to access as wide a range chance to hear a chance to meet many of the established and emerging writers of books as quickly as possible great music, authors.