UNESCO City of Literature

Melbourne Melbourne City of Literature submission Shelly Gorr (point person) Andrew Campbell Published by Arts Victoria. Communications & Marketing A/g Assistant Director – Arts Victoria Policy & Strategy Projects This publication is copyright. No part Tel: +61 3 9954 5064 Department of Premier & Cabinet may be reproduced by any process [email protected] except in accordance with provisions Sandy Grant of the Copyright Act 1968. Stuart Koop (point person) CEO Senior Project Manager Hardie Grant Publishing © Copyright: the State of Victoria 2008 Arts Victoria Penny Hutchinson All information contained in this publication Tel: +61 3 9954 5062 Director is considered correct at the time of printing. [email protected] Arts Victoria Arts Victoria Management Committee Kirsty Murray Private Bag 1 Author South Melbourne Greg Andrews Victoria Deputy Director Mark Rubbo OAM Australia 3205 Arts Victoria Managing Director Telephone: +61 3 9954 5000 Tom Bentley Readings Books and Music Facsimile: +61 3 9686 6186 Executive Director – Policy & Cabinet Anne-Marie Schwirtlich [email protected] (until December 2007) CEO/State Librarian www.arts.vic.gov.au Department of Premier & Cabinet State Library of Victoria Anne-Marie Schwirtlich Bob Sessions CEO/State Librarian Publishing Director State Library of Victoria Penguin Group (Australia)

Steering Committee Rohini Sharma Artistic Director (until September 2007) Eric Beecher (Committee Chair) Express Media Private Media Partners Carrie Tiffany Joel Becker Author Director Victorian Writers’ Centre Michael Webster Senior Lecturer, RMIT Morris Bellamy Principal Consultant, Nielsen BookScan Manager Arts & Culture City of Melbourne Tom Bentley Submission writers: Urszula Dawkins, Executive Director – Policy & Cabinet Steve Grimwade, Stuart Koop, (until December 2007) Dr Greg Kratzmann Department of Premier & Cabinet Editors: Hilary Ericksen, Sally Moss Grant Caldwell Publication design: Actual Size Board member Date of submission: February 2008 Australian Poetry Centre Rosemary Cameron Director/CEO Melbourne Writers’ Festival

ii UNESCO City of Literature

Melbourne

iii

Executive Summary

iv Melbourne

Mr Tulk. Photo: Mark Chew

As a city of excellence and extraordinary Australia and internationally, and are diversity in literary activity, Melbourne fully resourced to engage with UNESCO’s is an ideal candidate for UNESCO City Creative Cities Network as a City of of Literature status. The capital of the Literature. Victorian Government initia- south-eastern state of Victoria and a tives have recently been announced that major business centre within the Asia– will strengthen the city’s position as a Pacific region, it is widely acknowledged City of Literature. This submission, in as Australia’s cultural capital. addition to profiling Melbourne’s current Melbourne is a vibrant arena for the literary landscape and activities, details creation of literary works. Its writers these government initiatives and plans are supported by a robust publishing for the future. environment, including a large number Key areas for UNESCO’s consideration of independent and small publishers, are Melbourne’s distinct cultural and lit- and by the public’s broad participation erary history, its particular strengths and in literature – as readers, writers and track record in literary production and audiences at events and festivals. the ways in which it aims to share and At an administrative level, the enhance its literary strengths through Victorian Government and the City of international collaboration and exchange Melbourne are highly active in cultural in the future. development and exchange, both within

v Melbourne’s literary pedigree writers continued to look to the ‘old Founded in 1835 on the banks of the Yarra country’, while depictions of the ‘new’ River, Melbourne quickly grew from a played an important part in establishing small settlement to a burgeoning colonial a distinctive Australian literature. city, greatly stimulated by the Victorian Since World War II, writers of increas- gold rush of the 1850s. During the course ingly diverse influences and backgrounds of the 20th century, Melbourne evolved have contributed to the richly multicul- from a great Victorian-era city – known tural literary landscape of Melbourne as ‘Marvellous Melbourne’ – to a culturally (more than any other Australian city), diverse, major metropolis. Throughout in which both the differences and the the century, successive waves of immi- commonalities of dispersed peoples’ gration from many countries made experience feature strongly. The expan- enormous contributions to the city’s sion of local publishing in the postwar multicultural landscape – as they still period has also added to the diversity of do today. Melbourne’s literary output, encourag- Over time Melbourne’s literature has ing and promoting a wide variety of evolved from a literature of displacement genres and cultural expressions. The to one of diaspora, transforming the earlier notion of Britain as the source of experiences of immigrants into diverse Melbourne’s literary heritage has become narratives of struggle, self-definition, increasingly obsolete; immigrants and identity and belonging. During the 19th their descendants increasingly express century, many writers sought to convey in literature their complex relationships news and descriptions of the ‘colony’ to to many ‘homelands’ throughout Europe, readers in the ‘mother country’, at the Asia, the Middle East and beyond. At the same time beginning to define Melbourne’s same time, Melbourne itself is indisput- landscape and society through its dif- ably ‘home’ for these and many other ferences from ‘home’. In the early 20th writers, and the city’s contemporary century, the literary descendants of early literature reflects both cultural diversity

vi Federation Square, the Yarra River and Melbourne’s arts precinct. Photo: Peter Dunphy and a transcending of cultural boundar- the city’s cultural life. Smaller, interest- ies, with Indigenous writers extending based associations and specialist centres border-crossing themes and genres. for excellence also abound, serving Writers in contemporary Melbourne writers and literary professionals of all are supported by a vital literary industry kinds and further strengthening the city’s and an urban cultural environment that literary industries. hosts an endless round of literary events, Melbourne’s local public libraries activities and opportunities. Melbourne’s inspire and support public participation literary publishing sector is by far the in literature throughout the city and largest in Australia, with education and suburbs: more people borrow more books children’s publishing demonstrating from local libraries in Melbourne than impressive strength. A healthy industry anywhere else in Australia. Activities in featuring multinational publishers like local libraries include writing workshops, Penguin and Lonely Planet, as well as storytelling sessions and book-reading notable independent book publishers such clubs, to name a few. Libraries also as Text Publishing, Hardie Grant, Black devote significant resources to providing Inc., Melbourne University Publishing access to literature through mobile and Scribe Publications, is enriched by library programs and the maintenance of energetic high-quality small presses and collections in community languages and smaller independent publishers of books, in large-print and audio-book formats. journals and magazines. Complementing Independent booksellers enjoy a sig- a very active publishing environment is nificant market share in Australia, adding a large array of literature-related profes- to the strength and diversity of the retail sional organisations, with the Victorian sector. Melbourne, in particular, is home Writers’ Centre, Express Media, the Centre to many successful independent and for Youth Literature at the State Library specialty bookshops, as well as to a thriv- of Victoria and the Australian Poetry ing second-hand trade: Melbourne boasts Centre all making major contributions to more bookshops per head of population

vii than anywhere else in the country. It is not Melbourne is home to a number of surprising that Melbourne also enjoys major cultural institutions, including the country’s highest concentration of Melbourne Museum, the Arts Centre, community book clubs. the National Gallery of Victoria, the Melbourne has a formidable track Immigration Museum and the Australian record in presenting major literary Centre for the Moving Image. The most festivals, with nationally significant significant of the city’s institutions in events such as the Melbourne Writers’ terms of the literature of Melbourne is Festival, the Overload Poetry Festival, the the State Library of Victoria. Alfred Deakin Innovation Lectures and The first major cultural institution to the Emerging Writers’ Festival comple- be established in Melbourne, the State mented by a calendar of diverse smaller, Library has, since its founding in 1854, specialised festivals and celebrations. acquired a large collection of books, Myriad spoken-word events take place manuscripts and other literary and throughout the city year-round, exceeding historical material, with a strong focus the levels of such activity in many larger on items from Melbourne and Victoria. It cities worldwide. Melbourne’s print, elec- is the city’s major literary repository and tronic and online media outlets further a highly active centre for participation strengthen the city’s engagement with by the public in reading, research and literature, through event promotion, book cultural engagement. The State Library reviews, specialised press supplements, provides access to an increasing number literature-focused radio and literary of materials online and is committed sponsorships. to promoting literature and reading by Primary and secondary school edu- making its resources available to a cation in Melbourne and Victoria places broad range of users. It is also home to high priority on writing, literature and the Centre for Youth Literature, which reading, from early childhood onwards. presents events for young people and Government-supported initiatives such as produces the ‘Inside a Dog’ website for the Victorian Premier’s Reading Challenge young readers and writers. encourage and nurture interest in litera- ture among school students, while teaching Mission and goals: the keys to a focuses on diverse reading lists that pres- City of Literature ent children with a range of Australian In the context of UNESCO’s Creative and international literature. Young and Cities Network, Melbourne’s mission is emerging writers are also supported by a to be a literary city of international pre- wide array of educational opportunities eminence. To this end, the city’s main goals after completion of secondary school. are: to be accorded City of Literature status, These include numerous well-established, to establish a literary ‘hub’, to expand the high-quality writing and editing diploma international profile of the Melbourne courses; university degree and postgradu- Writers’ Festival and to enhance the ate courses in writing, publishing and Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards. editing; and numerous short courses run The Victorian Government has recently through libraries, the Victorian Writers’ increased its commitment to Melbourne’s Centre, community centres and the dis- literary life. In 2008, work will begin on ability arts organisation Arts Access, to the development of a bricks-and-mortar name a few. Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas. This

viii new ‘hub’ for writing and literature-based City of Literature status, Melbourne activities and organisations will include is keen to extend its existing inter- large, high-profile spaces for tenants such est in cultural exchange and global as the Victorian Writers’ Centre and other community building by networking key literary organisations. Co-location further with its six sister cities around of such organisations, along with venue the world. It is also keen to build on space for festivals, conferences and other existing ties with Edinburgh and to public programs, will provide Melbourne establish new ties with other cities in with an important new focal point the Creative Cities Network, to mutual for literary activity, engagement and benefit. The city recognises that such audience-building. exchange is not only valuable in terms The Victorian Government has also of creative and economic endeavour but increased funding for the Melbourne is also critical to shared understanding Writers’ Festival to raise its national and across cultures and to the development international profile. Another Victorian of more inclusive societies. Government initiative in the support and promotion of literature is the refinement Summary and increase in value of the annual Melbourne provides opportunities for Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards. engagement and participation in writing Nine current award categories will be and reading at all levels – from the city’s redeveloped to support writers through a diverse community of writers to its thriv- number of new categories. ing independent publishing industry, its Melbourne is also home to one of strong literary education programs and a Australia’s most valuable literary awards, vibrant urban literary scene. It is situated the Melbourne Prize for Literature, in a country that strongly demonstrates awarded triennially by the Melbourne its support for the arts and literature Prize Trust. Prizes of $30,000 are awarded through government funding programs to both an established and a developing at all levels – from local/municipal proj- writer, with the established prize winner ects and activities to state and national also receiving $30,000 worth of travel to support for individuals, business and the Milan, a sister city of Melbourne. wider public. This submission invites As a key centre for commerce in UNESCO to recognise Melbourne’s excel- the Asia–Pacific region and a regional lence and diversity in literary production centre for excellence in literature, and participation by designating the city Melbourne engages with Asia and the a City of Literature. If accorded City of rest of the world through both cultural Literature status, Melbourne will enthu- exchange and trade in the cultural siastically embrace its membership of industries. Literary residencies offered UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network, will by the University of Melbourne’s energetically build on its existing literary Asialink are just one way Melbourne reputation and resources and will share supports international understanding its creative wealth, both locally and and creative collaboration. If awarded internationally.

ix

Contents

x Executive Summary iv 11 Financial Support: 76 Fostering Fine Writing Contents x 12 Festivals and Events: 80 1 A Brief History of Melbourne 2 Celebrating Literature

2 The Place and the People 8 13 Libraries: Storehouses 86 of Words and Ideas 3 Melbourne and UNESCO 16 14 Bookshops: Selling Prose, 94 4 Cultural Infrastructure 18 Poetry and Pleasure

5 Creative Economy 26 15 Media: Spreading the Word 100

6 Governing for the Arts 34 16 Education: Literature 104 and Literacy 7 Urban Environment: 40 A Literary Mapping 17 Looking to the Future 112

8 Writers and Writing 46 Appendix 1: List of Publishers 116

9 Publishing: Shaping 60 Appendix 2: Melbourne-based 118 Ideas and Words Literary Organisations

10 Organisations: Supporting 70 a Literary Melbourne

1 1 A Brief History of Melbourne

2 Aboriginal Languages of Victoria

Indigenous Australia is diverse, and within Victoria alone there are 36 Aboriginal language groups comprising the original custodians of these lands. Image courtesy of Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages.

In the beginning the end of the last ice age, watching the Since the giant eagle Bundjil created the first Europeans arrive in ships in the 19th Kulin nation and its lands some 40,000 century, and today living and working in years ago, Indigenous people have occu- the thriving metropolis that is Melbourne. pied the area now known as Melbourne. Storytelling was an essential part of their From colonial outpost to life: law and culture were communicated ‘Marvellous Melbourne’ orally and through painting, song and The European settlement of Melbourne dance. Arguably, the first ‘writing’ in this began when John Batman, a grazier from place took the form of rock carving, bark Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania), painting, sand drawing, and pokerwork sailed up what is now the Yarra River on 8 on possum-skin cloaks. June 1835 and wrote in his journal: ‘This The Kulin people witnessed the will be the place for a village.’ Batman volcanic eruptions, floods and rising seas later claimed to have signed a ‘treaty’ that formed the topography of the area. with Indigenous leaders, giving him own- Their headman, Barwool, cut a channel in ership of almost 250,000 hectares of land. the nearby ranges to release floodwater, Three months after Batman’s arrival, a creating what would be known as the syndicate of Tasmanian farmers led by Yarra River and its outlet, Port Phillip Bay. John Pascoe Fawkner established the first The Kulin people subsequently lived on permanent settlement. Within two years, the plains, hunting giant kangaroos at more than 350 people and 55,000 sheep

3 Prior to 1830 almost everyone in Victoria had their own possum skin cloak to wear during winter. Cloaks were incised with intricate designs representing clan identity and the natural world. Today, Victorian Indigenous communities have revived the art of possum skin cloak making.

had landed and large wool-growing prop- crucial role of writing and knowledge in erties were established in the district. defining a metropolis. Its founding presi- Until 1851, two-thirds of some 90,000 dent, Redmond Barry, declared it free to immigrants to the so-called Port Phillip everyone over the age of fourteen, ‘even District had arrived unassisted, mainly though he be coatless… if only his hands from the United Kingdom. Their passage are clean’. cost double a labourer’s annual wage and As a result of Victoria’s gold rush, took almost four months. The colony’s Melbourne grew from a muddy fron- assisted migrants were mostly domestic tier town to a solid city of spires and servants and agricultural labourers. More domes. By 1860, publishing had begun to than 600,000 immigrants headed for the increase and included accounts of early diggings when gold was discovered in life in Melbourne and on the goldfields, Victoria in 1851, and half remained in such as William Howitt’s Land, Labour Melbourne once the gold rush had ended and Gold (1857). Book production and a decade or so later. Sudden wealth distribution were aided by the arrival of transformed a small port town into a Dublin booksellers George Robertson and frantically busy international centre. Samuel Mullen, who, along with Henry The city’s first major learning institu- Tolman Dwight, introduced literature tion, the University of Melbourne, was on science, medicine, law and religion. founded in 1853 in a period of rapid By 1861, Melbourne was a city of 125,000 growth in the city. Now one of the old- people – twice the size of San Francisco – est universities in Australia, it began by and had become the centre of the offering only a liberal arts course; but Australasian book trade. engineering, law, medicine, dentistry, Over subsequent decades Melbourne music, science and veterinary science showed itself to the world, hosting major followed in quick succession. Melbourne international industrial, scientific and University is now a national and global artistic expositions in 1880–81 and 1888 leader in research and education. that built on the success of earlier exhi- The State Library of Victoria (formerly bitions. The Royal Exhibition Building – the Public Library) was founded a year until recently the only building in after the university. As a cornerstone of Australia accorded UNESCO World culture, the library reminds us of the Heritage status – was built for the 1880

4 Creator: Whittock, N. The City of Melbourne. Australia picture 1 May 1855. Print: colour lithograph; 29.0 x 53.4 cm. on sheet 38.0 x 56.5 cm. Image courtesy of the State Library of Victoria

International Exhibition and sought to praises, others wrote exposés of the pov- confirm Melbourne’s place as an impor- erty, prostitution and crime that began to tant and wealthy colonial city. The 1888 characterise the city’s depressed under- exhibition attracted around two million side. John Freeman observed in Light people and ran for six months. and Shadows of Melbourne Life (1888) ‘that Visitors to Melbourne in the 1880s were Melbourne has its shadows as well as its astounded by the city’s beauty and prosper- bright spots, its hovels as well as palaces, ity. Here in the southern hemisphere was low life as well as high, and abject pov- a city larger than most European capitals, erty side by side with boundless wealth’. its ornate office buildings rivalling those There was also increasing focus on the of New York, London and Chicago, and city’s larrikin character and charm, with its population exceeding half a million. C.J. Dennis’s Songs of a Sentimental Bloke Among the admirers was English journal- (1913) and The Moods of Ginger Mick (1916) ist George Augustus Sala, who coined the employing the local vernacular and the moniker ‘Marvellous Melbourne’. humour of the under-classes to criticise The performing arts were also becom- urban living conditions. Henry Handel ing established in Melbourne. By 1886, Richardson portrayed a different side the city had five major theatres, includ- of life in her novel The Getting of Wisdom ing the spacious and ornate Princess and (1910), drawing on her experiences at Alexandra Theatres, The Bijou, the Opera Presbyterian Ladies’ College in the 1880s. House and the Theatre Royal. The arrival of a number of theatrical entrepreneurs, Federation and beyond including George Coppin, William Lyster In 1901, the Commonwealth of Australia and J.C. Williamson, saw serious theatre was proclaimed and Melbourne was firmly established, with performances selected as the meeting place for of works such as Ibsen’s The Doll’s House Federal Parliament until Australia’s new taking their place alongside the lighter capital city could be selected and a fitting entertainment of Gilbert and Sullivan, Parliament House erected. The parlia- comedies and other popular works. ment met in Melbourne until 1927. The city’s halcyon days were under- World War I brought hardship, with cut by several depressions between 1890 Victoria sending 112,000 of its citizens and 1930. While many sang Melbourne’s into battle, some 16,000 of whom lost

5 The Royal Exhibition Building – until recently the only building in Australia accorded UNESCO World Heritage status – was built for the 1880 International Exhibition and sought to confirm Melbourne’s place as an important and wealthy colonial city. The 1888 exhibition attracted around two million people and ran for six months.

their lives. After the war, technological by a large influx of migrants (see Chapter and infrastructural developments symb- 2), good economic conditions – especially olised Melbourne’s continuing growth and in the wool industry – and significant sophistication, but the Great Depression investment in new roads, schools and was to again plunge the city into dif- hospitals, which had been neglected ficulty, persisting through the 1930s and during the long decades of recession. until the outbreak of World War II. During Infrastructure development continued the 1920s the population had continued throughout the 1960s and early 70s. to grow modestly, increasing to 1 million; During the 1970s, state patronage of but the Depression slowed growth con- the arts led to a boom in festivals, theatre, siderably, and by 1940 the population had music and the visual arts in Melbourne. increased to only 1.1 million. Tourism became a major industry, bringing Despite the changing fortunes of the greater numbers of international visitors early 20th century, Melbourne’s suburbs and further strengthening the city’s cultural continued to expand, along with its standing. Two new universities opened – railway lines and private car ownership. Monash University in 1961 and La Trobe Workers followed the factories, mov- University in 1967 – followed by others in ing out to the suburbs for jobs. In 1901, the 1980s, cementing Melbourne’s place as manufacturing accounted for 31% of a leader in tertiary education. Melbourne’s workforce; by 1947, it had The staging of the Olympic Games in grown to 40%, with assisted migration Melbourne in 1956 has often been cited aiding the expansion of manufacturing as the turning point in the social, cultural by providing not only factory workers but and architectural development of the city. product consumers as well. Melbourne was transformed in the years After World War II, Melbourne again that followed: buildings grew taller, the experienced rapid expansion, stimulated traffic became thicker and migrants from

6 continental Europe brought their distinc- from countries such as the Netherlands, tive cultures to the city. Since 1945, about Germany, Italy, Greece and Turkey. 1.5 million permanent settlers have Following the Vietnam War, immigra- arrived in Victoria, with only one-third of tion from Asia increased, bringing new these from the United Kingdom. By 1995 cultural influences to bear on city life. many of Australia’s new immigrants were In recent times, immigrants from Chile, arriving as ‘displaced persons’ – refu- Lebanon, Cyprus, Ethiopia and Somalia gees from war-torn Eastern Europe – and have joined Melbourne’s community, a majority of these have now settled in fleeing civil war and political turmoil, Melbourne. Immigration agreements and further contributing to Melbourne’s also brought large numbers of people identity as a truly multicultural city.

7 2 The Place and the People

8 Block Place, Melbourne – one of the city’s many laneways and arcades. Photo: Tim Webster

Melbourne is the capital of the state of 8800 square kilometres around the shores Victoria and Australia’s second-largest of Port Phillip Bay where some 3.6 million city (Sydney being the largest). Located in people reside. the south-eastern corner of the continent, Central Melbourne, which began Victoria is Australia’s smallest mainland as a small village on the banks of the state, with a total area of 227,416 square Yarra River, is now an orderly grid of kilometres. Melbourne lies approximately wide streets alternating with narrow midway along Victoria’s long southern laneways. Just to the west of the CBD is coast and enjoys a temperate climate, the Docklands area, formerly part of the with warm to hot summers and cool win- Port of Melbourne and recently redevel- ters. Flying time to other state capitals oped to incorporate business, residential Adelaide and Sydney is approximately and recreational precincts. Three free- one hour, and to Hobart and the national ways serve the northern, eastern and capital, Canberra, just under an hour. southern areas of Melbourne, linked by a Melbourne, like most Australian cities, tollway running beneath the Yarra River has a towering central business district and across one of Melbourne’s major new (CBD) at its heart, beyond which lies an bridges, the Bolte Bridge. The city is also extensive urban sprawl of approximately served by an extensive public transport

9 Centre for Books, Writing & Ideas

Centre for Books, Writing & Ideas

City Library

City Library

10 Centre for Books, Writing & Ideas

City Library

Central Melbourne.

© Map courtesy the City of Melbourne. Copyright 2007

11 network of buses, trains, trams and north-east; historic goldfields and semi- taxis. Melbourne’s tramway network is arid areas to the west; and numerous the third-largest in the world, operating designated national parks and state on 27 routes that comprise around 250 forests throughout the state. Melbourne kilometres of track. is also geographically well placed to ser- Although for the most part an English- vice rural and coastal communities, with speaking city with Anglo–Celtic heritage, touring arts programs and other initia- Melbourne is also one of the most cul- tives linking these communities with the turally diverse cities in Australia, with state capital. more than a quarter of its population Housing density in Melbourne is lower having been born overseas and some 22% than in many major cities in Europe, speaking a language other than English Asia and the United States. While the at home.1 Although most of Melbourne’s inner-city suburbs commonly feature immigrants arrived in the decades fol- apartments, townhouses, semi-detached lowing World War II, the city has known or small detached homes with small many cultures since its earliest days. gardens, around three-quarters of the Melbourne’s Chinatown, for example, city’s population lives in larger, separate was established in 1854, making it one of homes on garden blocks, in suburbs as the oldest in the world. Victorians come far as 30 kilometres from the city centre. from more than 230 countries, speak Melbourne has often been called a ‘gar- more than 180 languages and dialects, den city’ because of its many parks and follow more than 110 religious faiths gardens. and are identified with in excess of 200 Festivals and major events of all ancestries. Most of those born overseas kinds play a strong part in Melbourne’s came to Australia in search of a better cultural life, both indoors and out. life for themselves and their children. A Events held every week of the year range significant number arrived in Australia from international sporting contests to as refugees: Europeans displaced by small local street festivals. The city is World War II, and refugees from the also distinguished by its inner-city café war in Vietnam or, more recently, from culture and reputation as a shopping conflicts in the republics of the former destination. The Victorian Government Yugoslavia, the Horn of Africa, the has vigorously pursued opportunities to Middle East and Afghanistan. host major national and international Melbourne is home to many of events in Melbourne, securing race meet- Australia’s largest corporations. It is a ings, motor races, cultural festivals and major business centre in the Asia-Pacific conventions, all of which keep the city region and tourism is a significant on the map as an international centre. local industry. Most recently, Melbourne was host of Victoria provides many opportunities the 2006 Commonwealth Games and for tourism within a short distance of 2007 FINA World Championships. Major Melbourne: dramatic coastlines to the annual events include the Spring Racing south-east and south-west; mountain Carnival, Melbourne International Arts ranges and temperate rainforest to the Festival, the Australian Open tennis

1 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), 2006, 2006 Census Statistics.

12 Exultant crowds at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Photo: Jim Lee championships, Melbourne International students bringing $2.9 billion of revenue Film Festival, Melbourne International into Melbourne every year – as much as Comedy Festival and the Formula 1 tourism.2 Australian Grand Prix. Melbourne, like other Australian Melburnians are known throughout cities, is governed at three levels: local/ Australia for both their enthusiasm for municipal, state and federal (national). sport and their love of the arts. An esti- At the municipal level, the CBD and mated 75% of Melburnians play some form inner suburbs are governed by the City of sport while almost as many participate of Melbourne. Thirty additional munici- in the arts and literature (see Chapter 5). palities or councils administer the rest Melbourne happily wears the dual crown of the city, with responsibilities including of ‘arts capital’ of Australia and the home urban planning, waste management of Australian Rules football. and the provision of various local com- More than half of Melbourne’s munity facilities and support services. working-age population is university The Victorian Government traditionally educated. The number of international administers city and statewide services, students hosted by the city is among the such as roads, education and major infra- highest in the world, with international structure, and it also provides significant

2 Department of Premier and Cabinet, 2007, Seeking Global Opportunities: The Victorian Government’s Action Plan to expand the impact of its International Network.

13 support to the arts, health services, tour- The City of Melbourne has six official ism and business development. Federal sister cities: Osaka, Japan; Tianjin, China; government responsibility traditionally Thessaloniki, Greece; Boston, USA; St encompasses areas of national concern, Petersburg, Russia; and Milan, Italy. These including economic, foreign and trade relationships foster international under- policy, immigration, defence and social standing between cities as well as creating welfare. The Federal Government also opportunities and links in the areas of supports and promotes the arts through business, education, tourism, sport, youth its arts funding and advisory body, the exchange and cultural exchange. Australia Council.

14 ‘World’s most liveable city’ Central Melbourne is located The Guardian and Observer Travel Awards in 2004 ranked along the picturesque Melbourne as ‘Number 1 Favourite Overseas City’, while the banks of the Yarra River. recently launched Global University City Index – which rates Photo: Mark Chew large cities on a number of criteria, including number of universities, level of investment in education and research, and lifestyle factors – ranks Melbourne fifth in the world after London, Boston, Paris and Tokyo. Victoria has the highest rate of research and development of all Australian states and is one of the top five biotechnology centres in the world. In 1990, a Washington environmental think-tank proclaimed Melbourne ‘the most liveable city in the world’; the epithet, like ‘Marvellous Melbourne’, has become a popular and enduring catchphrase. The Economist again declared Melbourne the world’s most liveable city in 2004, and the second-most liveable in 2005, based on safety, security, cost of living, cleanliness, climate, technology, accessibility and business. In 2000, the World Health Organisation awarded ‘Safe Community’ accreditation to the city of Melbourne – the first capital city in the southern hemisphere to be so accredited.

15 3 Melbourne and UNESCO

16 Australia is a key partner for UNESCO Significant UNESCO events and pro- in the Asia–Pacific, joining the Asia grams have also been based in Melbourne. Pacific Group ASPAC from the ‘Western These include: Europe and Other’ group in 1974, and — UNESCO Observatory Multi- is the thirteenth-highest contributor Disciplinary Research in the Arts: to UNESCO initiatives ($9 million in University of Melbourne Architecture 2004–05). Australia hosts numerous Faculty – bringing together people UNESCO Chairs at universities around with shared interests in the arts the country as well as occasional events across disciplinary divisions. and projects across diverse fields, includ- — The United Nations Decade of ing education, natural sciences, social and Education for Sustainable Develop- human sciences, culture, communication ment 2005–14 – Melbourne hosted a and information. national symposium. Melbourne is already a key centre for — UNESCO Associated Schools Project – UNESCO interests and programs. Many established in 1953, the project is members of the Australian National managed through the Victorian Commission for UNESCO are based in Department of Education and Early Melbourne, including the Chair, Ms Susan Childhood Development, based in Pascoe. Melbourne. Leading Melbourne citizens have — Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton participated in, and been recognised Gardens – the only building in through, UNESCO. Former Australian Australia listed on the World Heritage Federal Minister for Science Barry List (2004). Jones was an executive board member — In addition, 5 of the 13 biosphere (1991–95) and chair of the Committee reserves in UNESCO’s Man and on Conventions and Recommendations Biosphere program are in the state (1991–93). Suzanne Cory, director of the of Victoria: Croajingalong, Hattah Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Kulkyne, Murray Kulkyne, Mornington Research, won the UNESCO Women in Peninsula and Western Port, and Science Award in 2001, the first Australian Wilsons Promontory. to receive this honour.

17 4 Cultural Infrastructure

18 Federation Square is Melbourne’s civic and cultural meeting place, home to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, NGV Australia, the National Design Centre, national multicultural broadcaster SBS Radio as well as many cafes and restaurants. Photo: Robert Blackburn

The creative vitality of a ‘city of literature’ Cultural institutions depends on a strong cultural infrastruc- The State Library of Victoria (SLV) is the ture spanning all of the arts. In this state’s oldest publicly funded cultural respect Melburnians today benefit from institution and the oldest free public the rich legacy of their forebears and library in Australia, reflecting the foun- the ongoing investment of their state dational role of literature in the state. government. Since 1997, the Victorian Founded in 1854, it currently houses some Government has invested more than 3.5 million items and is visited by around $1 billion in building or redeveloping 1.1 million people each year. Over the state-owned arts agencies – a level of past 15 years the library has undergone investment not seen since the gold rush. extensive renovations at an estimated These projects, concentrated largely in cost of more than $200 million, providing Melbourne, span a range of arts and cul- purpose-built spaces to house expanded tural areas and intersect with initiatives facilities and services for library users, in business, technology and tourism. both on site and online. In particular, the SLV21 strategy builds on the library’s

19 National Gallery of Victoria International gallery on St Kilda Road Photo: Peter Dunphy

historical strengths in collection develop- culture, history and technology – cur- ment and information services, extending rently estimated at around 16 million digital services to provide Victorians with individual items. Museum Victoria is greater access to materials, online assis- based at three locations, all in Melbourne: tance and expanded resources through Melbourne Museum at the Carlton collaboration with other institutions. Gardens, Scienceworks and Melbourne The SLV’s south wing will soon be Planetarium in the western suburb redeveloped to house Melbourne’s new- of Spotswood, and the Immigration est literary organisation – the Centre for Museum at the Old Customs House in the Books, Writing and Ideas (outlined in city centre. In addition to exhibitions and Chapter 17). Further information about public activities at these sites, Museum the library is provided in Chapter 13. Victoria also maintains an extensive edu- Museum Victoria is Australia’s largest cation- and research-based website and public museum organisation. Its origins is custodian of the World Heritage-listed date to 1854, with the founding of the Royal Exhibition Building. National Museum of Victoria and the The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), establishment, in 1870, of the Industrial established in 1861, has been located since and Technological Museum of Victoria. the late 1960s in purpose-built facilities It is custodian of the state’s vast collec- on St Kilda Road, south of the Yarra River tions in the areas of science, Indigenous and close to Melbourne’s central business

20 Federation Square. Photo: John Gollings district. By the mid-1990s it had outgrown major public collection, exhibition and its St Kilda Road home in terms of both research institution, its beginnings date the size of its collection and its extensive to the founding of Victoria’s State Film exhibition schedule. A comprehensive Centre in 1946. ACMI is a unique cultural redevelopment was undertaken – effec- institution focusing on screen and digital tively doubling its size – and a second culture and presenting a wide variety of site was established at nearby Federation public exhibitions, films, talks, forums, Square. The NGV’s international collec- education programs, production work- tions are housed at the St Kilda Road shops and community activities. It also gallery, while the Ian Potter Centre at provides a public lending service, making Federation Square is dedicated to its more than 40,000 films, videos and DVDs Australian collections. Around 2.5 million available for loan. people visit the NGV every year to view In addition to ACMI and the NGV’s its major exhibitions of Australian and Ian Potter Centre, Melbourne’s central international work as well as its extensive public meeting and community space, permanent collections. Federation Square, houses the national Also housed in specially designed multicultural broadcaster SBS Radio, the facilities at Federation Square is the National Design Centre and the BMW Australian Centre for the Moving Image Edge concert auditorium. In 2008, an (ACMI), formally established in 2002. A expanded Melbourne Writers’ Festival will

21 First built in 1929, Melbourne’s Regent Theatre was designed for a mixture of film and live entertainment. Popular with Melburnians and visitors alike, it soon came to be known as the city’s ‘Palace of Dreams’.

relocate to Federation Square, placing the Established by the Victorian Government city’s major annual literary celebration in the early 1980s, the Arts Centre pro- firmly at the city centre and significantly vides Melbourne with several co-located, increasing the festival’s public visibility. high-quality venues. It is utilised year- The city centre also has an outstand- round for the subscription seasons of ing heritage theatre precinct, including notable performing arts companies and Her Majesty’s and the Princess, Comedy one-off international and Australian and Regent theatres. events and theatre seasons. It is also used for key festivals, such as Melbourne Other public institutions and facilities International Arts Festival. Across the Yarra River, the St Kilda Road Nearby, the architecturally stunning and Southbank area boasts a significant Australian Centre for Contemporary Art concentration of Melbourne’s cultural (ACCA) brings significant contemporary infrastructure. Colloquially known as the Australian and international art to ‘arts precinct’, it represents Melbourne’s Melbourne audiences. It is the only major focal point for the performing and visual public art gallery in Australia focused on arts in the form of the Arts Centre. commissioning rather than collecting.

22 The Arts Centre Forecourt hosts The Famous Spiegeltent

ACCA adjoins, and is physically linked initiative recognises the importance of the with, the Malthouse theatres, and the city’s cultural life and arts infrastructure, combined complex is known as Ngargee – and it stands to further strengthen public a Boonerwrung word denoting gathering engagement with the arts in Melbourne. for celebration.3 In the Docklands precinct just west of Other key facilities in the arts precinct the city, a new state-of-the art film and are the Victorian College of the Arts, The television studio complex, Melbourne Australian Ballet, The Australian Ballet Central City Studios, provides extensive School, Opera Australia, the Australian production facilities, including five sound Broadcasting Commission’s Southbank stages. A short distance away, the North Centre and the Melbourne Recital Centre Melbourne based Arts House initiative, (currently under construction). The funded by the City of Melbourne, sup- Victorian Government recently began a ports the development of new work by feasibility study to explore the possibility Melbourne’s contemporary arts com- of linking all these neighbouring facilities munity, providing artists with creative via a major new public space encompass- development opportunities and gallery ing a central pedestrian boulevard. This and performance space.

3 The Boonerwrung people are the original inhabitants of the area. ‘Ngargee’ describes the gathering of Aboriginal people for celebration – of story, song and dance – and this honours the history of place and reflects the purpose of the centre. 23 Beyond the inner city, the recently experimental music groups. Some 56% restored and redeveloped Heide Museum of these are based in Melbourne.4 Many of Modern Art in the eastern suburb of of Melbourne’s arts companies tour Bulleen is one of Australia’s leading public regularly, bringing innovative cultural art museums and is unique in its synthe- experiences to audiences throughout the sis of indoor and outdoor environments. state and nation. Melbourne is served by several other The suburban municipalities of medium-sized suburban arts centres, Melbourne each have distinct cultural including performance, workshop and policies and infrastructure, such as the- gallery spaces, artists’ studios and atres, neighbourhood houses (where local regular public programs. These include residents can take part in art classes, well-known centres such as Footscray writing or book groups, or other activi- Community Arts Centre, Gasworks Arts ties), local libraries, recreational facilities Park and Frankston Arts Centre. The city and cultural centres. is also home to Australia’s greatest con- Beyond Melbourne, Victoria enjoys centration of commercial galleries as well the benefits of an extensive network of as the biennial Melbourne International regional galleries and performing arts Art Fair. centres and has more than 400 com- Melbourne and the state of Victoria are munity museums and historical societies home to around 7800 small arts organisa- caring for regional collections and telling tions of all types, from contemporary art local stories. galleries to small theatre ensembles and

4 Deloitte, 2007, Small Arts Sector Research and Evaluation.

24 Festival Melbourne 2006 Strange Fruit performing at Important arts events and festivals across the state make a Festival Melbourne 2006, the significant contribution to Victoria’s high cultural profile. Literary cultural festival held during festivals are detailed in Chapter 11, but other noteworthy annual arts the 2006 Commonwealth festivals include Melbourne International Arts Festival, Melbourne Games, March 2006. International Film Festival and Melbourne International Comedy Photo: Jeff Busby Festival. Perhaps the crowning achievement in Melbourne’s arts festivals to date is Festival Melbourne 2006, which ran in conjunction with the 2006 Commonwealth Games. It was the largest free festival of arts and culture ever held in Australia, setting a new precedent for cultural events in Melbourne. It featured more than 2500 performing artists, both Australian and international, across a series of locations within and around the city. Festival Melbourne 2006 attracted an audience of around two million over a 12-day period.

25 5 Creative Economy

26 Victoria’s thriving creative industries While this document outlines greater complement the state’s strong cultural Melbourne’s role within the state and the infrastructure, directly benefiting the nation as a city of literature, few of the economy through trade, employment available statistics separate Melbourne’s and public participation, and enriching economic and cultural activity from the cultural landscape. The most recent that of the state as a whole. Figures for available statistics indicate that more Melbourne are stated wherever possible. than 35,500 businesses in Victoria oper- ate within the cultural sector,5 generating Table 1 revenue of approximately $7.3 billion PEOPLE EMPLOYED IN SELECTED CULTURAL OCCUPATION GROUPS (a)(b), each year and representing around 4.4% Victoria and Australia, August 2001 of the total value of the state economy.6 Percentage Areas of production include publish- Vic. Australia in Vic. (c) ing, printing, architecture, libraries, film, Occupation (a) No. No. % radio, television, museums, the arts and advertising, providing employment for Visual arts and craft professionals 3573 13,771 25.9 more than 100,000 people, or around Photographers 2005 7383 27.2 5% of Victoria’s workforce.7 Many more Victorians participate in cultural activities Designers/illustrators 10,386 34,122 30.4 on an unpaid basis, with some 759,000 Journalists/related professionals 3977 16,516 24.1 people – 19% of the population – having some paid or unpaid work involvement in Musicians/related professionals 2265 9006 25.1 the cultural sector.8 Employment in the Film/TV/radio/stage professionals 6575 27,334 24.1 creative industries is growing at a rate of 2.5% each year, a rate higher than for Authors/related professionals 1304 4078 32.0 most other industries in Victoria.9 Tables Actors/dancers/related professionals 1528 6,145 24.9 1 and 2 show numbers of individuals employed in selected cultural occupa- Music/performing arts teachers 3386 13,760 24.6 tions and industries in Victoria. Architects 5512 19,511 28.3

Library/museum workers 6791 27,981 24.3

Others 23,404 83,644 28.0

Total cultural occupations 70,706 263,251 26.9

(a) As the main job in the week before the census. (b) Cells in this table have been randomly adjusted to avoid the release of confidential data. (c) 24.8% of Australia’s population lives in Victoria. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Census of Population and Housing, 2001; data available on request.

5 ABS, 2004, Business Register Counts. 8 National Centre for Culture and Recreation Statistics, 6 Dandolo Partners, October 2004, Creative Capital 2007, Victorian Statistical Overview (unpub.). discussion paper. 9 Dandolo Partners, October 2004, Creative Capital 7 National Centre for Culture and Recreation Statistics, discussion paper. 2007, Victorian Statistical Overview (unpub.). 27 Table 2 PEOPLE EMPLOYED IN SELECTED CULTURAL INDUSTRIES (a), Victoria, August 2001

Cultural Other occupations occupations (b) (b) (c) Total Industry No. No. No. Newspaper printing or publishing 3052 3284 6336 Other periodical publishing 822 1061 1883 Book and other publishing 1116 2256 3372 Film and video distribution 44 238 282 Film and video production 1301 641 1942 Motion picture exhibition 1132 1756 2888 Radio services 736 585 1321 Television services 1851 2025 3876 Music and theatre productions 2011 640 2651 Creative arts 2210 345 2555 Sound recording studios 171 93 264 Performing arts venues 137 264 401 Services to the arts 186 643 829 Libraries 2213 501 2714 Museums 407 785 1192 Parks and gardens (d) 446 1729 2175 Photographic studios 923 307 1230 Video hire outlets 54 2272 2326 Other cultural industries (e) 297 11,833 12,130 Total selected cultural industries 19,109 31,258 50,367

(a) Cells in this table have been randomly adjusted to avoid the release of confidential data. (b) As the main job in the week before the census. (c) Includes respondents who did not state their occupation group. (d) Comprises zoological and botanic gardens; recreational parks and gardens; and parks and gardens undefined. (e) Comprises recorded media manufacturing and publishing; book and magazine wholesaling; newspaper, book and stationery retailing; recorded music retailing; and video hire outlets. Source: ABS, Census of Population and Housing, 2001; data available on request.

28 Victorians spend more on household cultural items, including magzines, than other Australians. MagNation. Photo: Mark Chew

Victoria’s 1.9 million households spent an average of almost 50% since 2003, with $3951 million on cultural products in the state’s major arts festival, Melbourne 2003–04, an increase of 40% since 1999.10 International Arts Festival, leading the This translates to an average of $39.76 per way. 13 Community participation in the week per household on cultural items, arts is by no means limited to attendance; slightly higher than the national average.11 almost half a million Victorians volunteer For the purposes of the survey, cultural their time and energy in the arts sector, products included books, newspapers, an increase of 20% since 2001.14 Festivals magazines, music CDs, live theatre per- and events provide major opportunities formance, works of art and art-and-craft for participation, with volunteers mak- materials, cinema, culture-focused ing up an average of around 75% of staff courses, pay television services and home across all festivals.15 audiovisual and photographic goods. Victoria’s children – the artists and More than 80% of all Victorians attend audiences of the future – are active an arts venue at least once a year.12 participants in the arts. In 2004, nearly Attendances at festivals have increased by 30% of Victorian children were actively

10 National Centre for Culture and Recreation Statistics, 13 PriceWaterhouseCoopers, 2005, Whole of Government 2007, Victorian Statistical Overview (unpub.). Arts and Cultural Festivals Review. 11 National Centre for Culture and Recreation Statistics, 14 Arts Victoria, 2006, Art-Look. 2007, Victorian Statistical Overview (unpub.). 15 PriceWaterhouseCoopers, 2005, Whole of Government 12 ABS, 2002, Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues Arts and Cultural Festivals Review. and Events. 29 festival returns around $99, with around $150 worth of economic impact for every person attending an event.21 There is significant scope to enhance Victoria’s position as an international destination for cultural tourists through Held every November at further strengthening its cultural profile, the Arts Centre, Chookahs! in particular regarding its literary indus- festival for kids, attracts 3-8 tries and culture. It is estimated that an year-olds from around Victoria. increase of 1.5% in international cultural Photo: Peter Casamento tourists, or a 4% increase in interstate cultural tourists, would add more than engaged in cultural activities such as $25 million worth of economic contribu- playing a musical instrument, singing, tion to the state.22 dancing and acting, and around half of all Victorian children were involved The literature-related industries in art-and-craft activities.16 Dedicated Melbourne’s literature-related industries events and festivals, such as Chookahs at broadly encompass writing, publish- the Arts Centre, provide further opportu- ing, printing and book retailing, as well nities for the participation of children. as libraries and educational courses Cultural tourism is important to in writing and literature. In particular, Melbourne’s economy, and national Melbourne’s strong publishing and surveys indicate that Australians see retailing sectors greatly enrich the city’s Melbourne as the country’s ‘cultural literary culture, with many thousands capital city’.17 Melbourne is favoured of workers engaged on a daily basis in as much for its major cultural events occupations ranging from authorship, and infrastructure as it is for its galler- writing, editing and indexing through ies, theatre and opera companies, bars to graphic design, print professions and and cafés, shopping, music and sport.18 retail employment. In 2004, around 670,000 international Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) visitors travelled to Melbourne for figures for 2001 indicate that around cultural purposes, representing 51% of 1300 authors and related professionals all international visitors to the state.19 live in Victoria – almost one-third of According to Tourism Victoria, experi- the national total.23 Of these, around encing history and heritage (68%) and 89% reside in Melbourne. These figures experiencing art and culture (58%) were are shown in Table 3, along with other important reasons for cultural tourists selected ‘literary’ occupations. choosing Victoria as their destination In addition to a large number of and 29% attended a festival or cultural literary professionals, Melbourne also event during their stay.20 It is estimated has high participation rates in writing that every funding dollar invested in a more generally, with some 97,600 people

16 Arts Victoria, 2006, Art-Look. 21 PriceWaterhouseCoopers, 2005, Whole of Government 17 Roy Morgan Research Centre, 2002, Brand Personality Arts and Cultural Festivals Review. Survey; and, 2004, Brand Health Survey. 22 Dandolo Partners and Booz/Allen/Hamilton, February 18 Open Mind, 2005, Cultural Participation. 2004, Growing Patronage and Yield at Victoria’s Cultural 19 Tourism Victoria, 2004, Motivations and Behaviours of and Heritage Attractions, report prepared for the Interstate Cultural Tourists. Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet. 20 Tourism Victoria, 2004, Motivations and Behaviours of 23 ABS, 2001, Census of Population and Housing. Interstate Cultural Tourists. 30 Table 3 PEOPLE EMPLOYED IN CULTURAL OCCUPATIONS (a) Victoria, (selected literature related jobs)

Balance Melbourne of Vic. Total Australia % Journalists/related professionals Journalists and related professionals (b) 271 40 311 1369 Editors 797 157 954 3851 Print journalists 977 323 1 300 5522 Television journalists 129 23 152 968 Radio journalists 108 23 131 618 Copywriters 258 21 279 923 30% Technical writers 463 45 508 1647 31% Journalists and related professionals (c) 291 51 342 1618 Authors/related professionals Authors 867 126 993 3201 31% Book editors 235 17 252 668 38% Script editors 37 3 38 121 Authors and related professionals 20 3 21 88 Library/museum workers Librarians 2188 467 2655 10,313 Library technicians 1536 464 2000 6141 Library assistants 1019 393 1412 8398 Archivists 166 19 185 797 Other Translators 248 8 256 960 Desktop publishing operators 498 86 584 1890 Proof readers 135 37 172 524 Printing trades people 7351 1492 8843 27,679 Printing hands 1603 375 1978 6355

Source: ABS, 2001 Census of Population and Housing; data available on request. (a) As the main job in the week before the census. (b) Not further defined. (c) Not elsewhere classified.

31 enjoying writing as a hobby activity.24 This (16%). A further $526.1 million worth of combination of grass-roots participation sales were printed educational books, and specialised employment points to while sales of electronic books (including the integral and popular role of writing audio books) totalled $7.5 million. New in the state’s culture and economy. titles accounted for 53% of total book Melbourne is also a city of readers. A sales, while Australian titles accounted study undertaken by ACNielsen in 2001 for 60% of total book sales. There were indicated that more than three-quarters 8602 new Australian titles published of Victoria’s adult population (78%) read during 2003–04, of which 97% were for pleasure every day or on most days printed titles originating from Australian of the week, with 72% of adults reading book publishers. Export sales of books books especially for pleasure.25 Victorians amounted to 14% of total book sales, with also buy more books, newspapers major markets being the United States, and magazines than people in other the United Kingdom and New Zealand Australian states.26 (altogether 70% of export sales).30 Book publishing is particularly strong Victoria has more bookshops (307) in Victoria, with a higher number of than any other state in Australia and books published per head of population generates the highest per capita income than in other states.27 In the 2003–04 from bookselling.31 It’s not surprising that financial year, book publishers based in the first Borders ‘superstore’ in Australia Victoria generated $580.4 million (43%) opened in Melbourne; now there are of total book sales in Australia.28 Victoria seven across the city. However, the size has one of the largest concentrations of of Melbourne’s bookshops is smaller on book publishers and wholesalers in the average, consistent with its tradition of country. Although Victorians account small, independent booksellers. for only around 25% of Australia’s total Around one-third of Australia’s population, almost 38% of Australians book retailing businesses are located employed in the publishing sector are in Victoria, with the head offices of 235 in Victoria, with 90% of these based Australian bookselling companies (41%) in Melbourne.29 based in Melbourne.32 The retail books- More detailed figures on book elling industry generates $453.1 million publishing specific to Melbourne and in Victoria annually and provides employ- Victoria are not available; however, the ment for more than 2600 people.33 In following national figures give some 2003–04 Victorian households spent an indication of general trends within the average $9 per week on literature, with Australian book publishing industry. In book sales in the state representing 43% 2003–04, Australian book publishers sold of Australia’s total annual book sales.34 $819.6 million worth of printed books Nationally, 91% of books sold in of general content covering non-fiction 2003–04 were sourced by retail outlets (59%), fiction (25%) and children’s books from Australian suppliers.35 Book sales

24 National Centre for Culture and Recreation Statistics, 30 ABS, 2003–04, Book Publishers, 1363.0. 2007, Victorian Statistical Overview (unpub.). 31 ABS, 2003–04, Book Retailers, 1371.0. 25 ACNielsen, 2001, Books Alive. 32 ABS, 2003–04, Household Expenditure on Culture, 26 ABS, 2003–04, Household Expenditure on Culture, 4172.0. 4172.0. 33 ABS, 2003–04, Book Retailers, 1371.0. 27 ABS, 2003–04, Book Publishers, 1363.0. 34 ABS, 2003–04, Household Expenditure on Culture, 28 ABS, 2003–04, Book Publishers, 1363.0. 4172.0. 29 ABS, 2001, Census of Population and Housing. 35 ABS, 2003–04, Book Retailers, 1371.0. 32 appear to be on the rise nationwide, with libraries and dozens of other library the number of new books sold up by 25%, facilities and service points. Total public the value of retail sales of new books library expenditure in Victoria for 2005–06 up by 17% and the total income and was approximately $152.5 million.37 expenditure of book retailers up by 22% Public libraries provide employment for and 23% respectively in comparison with nearly 2800 Victorians, including full-time, 2002–03 figures.36 part-time and casual staff (equivalent to In summary, the ABS estimates the around 1500 full-time positions). Around total value of book publishing to the 2.5 million Victorians are local govern- Victorian economy to be in the order of ment library members – some 47% of $376 million. If newspapers, magazines the population. At the end of June 2006, and periodicals are included, the figure is Victoria’s public libraries held 9 million around $1.1 billion. items of stock. Almost 50 million loans Public libraries are a further indica- were recorded during the year, including tor of public participation in literature books, talking books, audiovisual items and local government commitment to and electronic journals. literary engagement across the city. The Further information on public library 2005–06 Annual Survey of Public Libraries services and activities in Melbourne is in Victoria showed there were 287 public provided in Chapter 13. libraries in the state, as well as 28 mobile

36 ABS, 2003–04, Book Retailers, 1371.0. 37 Department of Victorian Communities, 2006, Annual Survey of Public Libraries in Victoria 2005–06.

33 6 Governing for the Arts

34 Creative Capacity +: Arts for all Victorians is the Victorian State Government’s arts and cultural policy. Design: Actual Size Photo: Ned Meldrum

A robust cultural life strengthens social by an innovative program of activities – cohesion, builds community pride, has helped establish Victoria as a cul- improves education outcomes and assists tural hub of Australia, where creative health and wellbeing. In this sense, cre- economic and social developments are ativity is valued as a vital social resource major priorities. and investment priority that contributes The government recognises the to a strong economy, stimulates innova- positive impact the arts sector has on its tion and attracts international knowledge citizens and communities. Its strong com- workers and visitors. mitment to investing in the arts supports The Victorian Government has a the goal to maximise opportunities for longstanding commitment to develop- all Victorians to enjoy and share the ben- ing Melbourne as an international efits of living in a creative and culturally centre for the exchange of creative diverse society. This includes providing ideas. This is expressed through direct essential support for community festi- program funding and a wide range of vals, world-class infrastructure, talent other investments, such as the land- development programs and awards, writ- mark infrastructure and many smaller ers’ grants and publication support. metropolitan and regional facilities This commitment is part of the govern- detailed in Chapter 4. The development ment’s long-term framework outlined in of such world-class venues – supported its 10-year vision plan, Creative Capacity +:

35 Arts for all Victorians. This seeks to build The Victorian Government’s existing on Victoria’s unique cultural heritage support is extensive, with around $472.2 while ensuring that the state’s cultural million38 provided for a range of arts and expertise and capacity continue to grow cultural activities – including literary ini- throughout the next decade. It means tiatives – throughout Melbourne and the delivering essential program and financial state. Arts funding, administered by Arts support to nurture existing creative tal- Victoria, is delivered as recurrent support ent while developing the necessary new for cultural infrastructure and annual infrastructure to further boost Victoria’s support for individual arts practitioners, position at the forefront of cultural life including writers and those working in both nationally and internationally. related areas such as publishing.

Table 4 ARTS VICTORIA SUPPORT FOR LITERATURE-RELATED ACTIVITIES 2006-0739

Organisation Amount

Melbourne Writers’ Festival $268,000

Victorian Writers’ Centre $125,000

Premier’s Literary Awards $250,000

Express Media $125,000

Individual writers’ grants $62,000

Writing and publishing organisations $262,000

Total $1,092,000

Table 5 PUBLIC LIBRARIES FUNDING IN VICTORIA

Library Amount

State Library of Victoria (incl. Centre for Youth Literature) (2006–07) $34,000,000

Public Libraries funding (2005–06) $29,123,000

Total $63,123,000

38 ABS, 2004–05, Cultural Funding by Government, 39 Arts Victoria, 2004–05, grants data. 4183.0. Funding for public libraries is not included in this figure.

36 An example of projects funded through Arts Victoria includes independent literary journal Going Down Swinging which publishes short stories, comics, poetry and spoken word recordings. Artwork by Tai Snaith.

Arts activities receive support through to contributions towards the annual a variety of avenues at local, state and operational costs of large organisations federal (national) levels. In 2004–05, total such as the Melbourne Writers’ Festival. government funding for the arts across Examples of funding delivered in 2006–07 Australia was $5014.9 million, with include support for the Playwriting state and territory government funding Australia Conference; grants to literary accounting for 47%, the federal govern- journals, including Meanjin, Overland and ment for 35% and local government for Going Down Swinging; support for poetry 18%.40 In addition to direct funding, the readings; writers’ grants; and numerous Australian Government provides assis- development grants and regional touring tance to the arts through tax deductions support to theatre companies. to businesses and individuals contribut- Victoria also utilises an extensive ing to certain programs – for example, the arts network to foster collaborations Cultural Gifts Program, which encourages and connections on many initia- the donation of culturally significant tives. Such an approach seeks to items to public libraries, museums and benefit from the knowledge and capabili- art galleries.41 ties of departments, agencies and other Literature-related projects funded key stakeholders. Whole-of-government by Arts Victoria encompass a range of funding support is currently delivered areas, from grants to individual writers across a range of activities in areas such as

40 ABS, 2007, Arts and Culture in Australia: A Statistical 41 In addition to this type of contribution by business, the Overview, 4172.0. ABS Business Generosity Survey 2000–01 reported that businesses contributed $69.6 million towards arts and cultural activities in that financial year. 37 specialised education and training, com- Victoria’s capital provides further munity cultural development, tourism evidence of the strength of local working and business development. Contributors partnerships. The greater Melbourne area include the Department of Planning and comprises 31 municipalities, with the Community Development, Department City of Melbourne governing the central of Human Services, Department of business district and adjoining inner Education and Training, Department suburbs. The City of Melbourne supports of Justice, Department of Innovation, literature through its libraries and, for Industry and Regional Development, and example, via financial support for the Tourism Victoria. Melbourne Writers’ Festival ($36,050 in Internal government estimates for 2007); funding of the Melbourne Prize the 2004–05 financial year suggest that ($30,900 in 2007; awarded in the category non-Arts Victoria funding for the arts in of Literature every three years); and an Victoria totalled in excess of $10 million. annual grants program for individuals Some of the activities funded included and organisations ($50,000 in 2006). artist-in-schools projects, the Deadly In addition, its annual grants program Arts Business Conference for Indigenous includes the special category ‘Writing arts practitioners, community publishing about Melbourne’, which in 2007 funded projects, events focused on accessibility six projects with a total value of approxi- for people with disabilities, youth arts and mately $30,000. The City of Melbourne is music, activities and self-development also active in the area of community cul- for adults and young people in prisons, tural development and provides studio and skills development for the design space for emerging and established writ- industry. This is critical support that ers through its facilities at Arts House in underlines the major state investment North Melbourne. and participation in the arts sector. In addition to the support provided An important element of this support at a state level, local writers, publishers is the government’s role in fostering and and literary organisations in Melbourne ensuring access to innovative arts and also enjoy a significant share of federal literature activities in local communities. government assistance through the Many of these programs are supported by Literature Board of the Australia Council local councils, which work in partnership for the Arts. Activities supported by with Arts Victoria and community boards. bi-annually awarded grants include Australian Bureau of Statistics figures the creation of new work by emerging, indicate that local government in Victoria developing and established writers; contributed $235.8 million in cultural promotion and presentation of literary funding in 2004–05.42 Councils typically works by festivals, organisations and provide support for libraries, community publishers; and overseas studio residen- festivals and activities, exhibitions, and, cies. The Literature Board also provides in many cases, grants for programs and fellowships and emeritus awards for writing competitions. Well-developed individual writers who have made sig- leisure and recreation services depart- nificant achievements in their careers, ments also provide ongoing resources in and operational or infrastructure fund- the areas of arts and culture. ing for selected organisations through

42 ABS, 2004–05, Cultural Funding by Government, 4183.0.

38 annual or triennial grants. In 2006–07, commitment to further deepen our cul- total annual funding by the Literature tural capacity in a rapidly changing world. Board amounted to $7.8 million. Melbourne is well placed to build on its In summary, government support existing strengths as a key contributor to contributes significantly to Victoria’s community learning, harmony and inno- national and international reputation as vation. The prospect of City of Literature an enterprising, innovative and diverse status for Melbourne recognises the state, with Melbourne as its capital. The essential value of arts and culture to the current allocation of resources reflects a government’s vision for Victoria.

39 7 Urban Environment: A Literary Mapping

40 Mr Tulk. Photo: Mark Chew

From the early days of the colony of writers work in Melbourne’s inner city, Victoria, artists, writers and bohemians of holing themselves up in rooms above all types were drawn to Melbourne’s city the streets and laneways, and readers centre, and poets first began to perform are offered the choice of two inner-city their work in restaurants such as Fasoli’s public libraries. Facilities for writers and (famous as the ‘temple of Bohemia’) and readers are especially concentrated in in bookshops such as Andrade’s. An intel- one short city block – the Flinders Lane lectual milieu was born of and supported precinct bounded by Swanston and by the waves of immigrants who had Elizabeth streets which accommodates worked in the heart of their native cities the Victorian Writers’ Centre (VWC), and brought their culture with them. By Collected Works Bookshop, Express the early decades of the 20th century, lit- Media, the University of the Third Age erary, political and artistic activity could (U3A), the Aboriginal Literacy Foundation, still be found in a range of city sites, from the Centre for Adult Education (CAE), Leonardo’s Bookshop to the Swanston Black Inc., Letterbox (a typography studio Family Hotel. that has won numerous international The tradition continued and the liter- and local awards), various studios in the ary life of downtown Melbourne today is Nicholas Building, and the relatively new favourably compared with that of larger City Library. metropolises such as London and New The library was the brainchild of York. A great many twenty-first century the CAE and the City of Melbourne and

41 Schwipe. Photo: Mark Chew

opened its doors in 2004. It comple- organisation that provides educational ments the services provided by the State opportunities for its members, who Library of Victoria, provides the public can be described as being ‘active in with a lending library in the heart of retirement’. The other key short-course Melbourne and has become a major provider in the city is the CAE, which ran community hub. 112 writing courses in 2006. In addition The VWC is the major convenor of to its short courses, the CAE is the key literary events and writing courses in the organisation for facilitating book groups heart of the city. It organised 198 events across the state. in 2006 and runs an annual week-long The CAE also runs a Book Groups summer writing school each January. It Program which is the largest formal net- provides its members and the general work of book groups in Australia. It assists public with information and literary 496 book groups across Melbourne’s sub- services, and manages a conference urbs and another 494 in regional areas room that hosts events run by other throughout Victoria and Australia. It has organisations. In 2006, the VWC assisted been running for 60 years and provides 85 writers in its manuscript assessment access to loan copies of 1000 titles to ser- program and provided studios to 14 writ- vice more than 10,600 members. The CAE ers for periods of one to six months. continues to broaden this service and U3A runs five weekly classes for writ- has just begun to organise book groups ers and readers and is an international in cafés and libraries in the city centre

42 The CAE Book Groups Program is the largest formal network of book groups in Australia. Photo: Silvana Del Bene and is now helping businesses run their culture. In addition to the major sites of own book groups. This is evidence of an theatrical activity – the Arts Centre and extraordinary book culture in Melbourne the Malthouse theatres – there is a com- and is a manifestation of Melburnians’ mitment to new independent theatre from commitment to literature. a range of companies across the city and Although there is no way of estimating suburbs, including La Mama, Theatre at the number of private book groups, some Risk, St Martins Youth Theatre, Platform notable examples have risen to public Youth Theatre, Melbourne Workers’ prominence. These include the Ivanhoe Theatre, the Storeroom and Chapel Off Reading Circle, Australia’s oldest book Chapel. Many of these companies not group, which has met continuously since only give audiences the opportunity to the 1920s; and the groups of the North witness cutting-edge theatre; they also Fitzroy Star Hotel, an inner-suburban offer the public countless opportunities hotel that hosts at least two book groups to participate in the productions them- per week. selves. For instance, St Martins Youth While Melbourne supports a great Theatre provides young and emerging culture of reading – whether high-brow writers and artists with the skills and literature, romance novels or one of the opportunities to launch their careers. many free street magazines that inform There is also a commitment across the city’s youth culture – reading is not the city and suburbs to support literacy the only measure of Melbourne’s literary and creative endeavours in the various

43 Journal of the Plague Years by Tom Wright after Daniel Defoe, performed at the Malthouse Theatre. Photo: Jeff Busby

‘neighbourhood houses’ that offer cheap Melbourne’s urban life sustains courses to local communities, in addi- a heady mix of artistic activity for tion to the larger community centres, a number of diverse communities. such as the Footscray Community Arts Underpinning so much of this activity is Centre. The latter works with many of writing itself, crossing forms and bond- the new migrant communities moving ing the city’s writers, artists, readers into the western suburbs and produces and new communities. community-focused arts activities such A walk through the city’s cobblestone as the performance of Not Enough Cows, a laneways make it possible to see how a bilingual play (in Dinka and English) that literary life can extend beyond the printed was written and devised at the centre by page. Melbourne’s literary activities cross workers and the Sudanese community. art forms and can be found in graffiti and The old and the new sit side by side stencil art. These maverick endeavours in Melbourne, and while the Athenaeum have found a firm place in the counter- may be Victoria’s oldest cultural institu- culture of Melbourne and have been tion, it continues to thrive because it is recognised in events such as Melbourne’s able to adapt to the culture around it. annual Stencil Festival – a celebration Founded in 1839, and most famous for its and exhibition of street and stencil art library, the Athenaeum provides a range work – and in support from the City of of literary activities for its members and Melbourne’s annual Laneway Commission, the public, including author talks, read- which transforms Melbourne’s lanes into ings and children’s activities. It also hosts public art galleries. meetings for an underground online journal, Litmusphere, and runs writers’ groups three days a week.

44 Art on the move Moving Galleries – a travelling It’s possible that anyone making a train trip to town will have exhibition of poetry and art begun their literary journey before they arrive at Flinders featured on Melbourne’s Street Station. In 2005, a travelling exhibition of poetry and art suburban trains featured on 20 suburban trains. The project is now ongoing and is supported by both private philanthropy and funding from the state government. Moving Galleries is dedicated to engaging the community in creativity in the course of daily life, and in 2007 Melburnians travelling on trains around the metropolitan area were treated to almost 1500 poems and visual works.

45 8 Writers and Writing

46 Poet C.J. Dennis. Image courtesy State Library of Victoria

The discovery of gold in the 1850s brought The most famous of Melbourne’s enormous wealth and a rapid influx early poets is C.J. Dennis, whose Songs of a of people to the new Victorian colony, Sentimental Bloke (1916) evokes the speech setting the material base for the develop- and daily life of the city. Dennis attracted ment of book production and bookselling. a wide and varied audience – in 1915 Among the foreign visitors to come to alone his book sold 15,000 copies – and Melbourne were Henry Kingsley, Rudyard his work soon became a cornerstone of Kipling and Mark Twain. Australia’s the national egalitarian mythology. two foremost 19th-century novelists, Melbourne has always occupied Rolf Boldrewood (Thomas Browne) and a pivotal place in the development of Marcus Clarke, both lived and at times Australian children’s writing. In the wrote in Melbourne. Their novels about early 20th century, Melbourne writers life in a wild settler culture were best- Mary Grant Bruce (author of the Billabong sellers in Australia and overseas, and series) and Mrs Aeneas Gunn were at the continue to be published. Fergus Hume’s forefront of a new movement in novels thriller The Mystery of a Hansom Cab (1886) detailing the authentic experiences of was another celebrated best-seller, both young Australians. in Australia and in England. The work of Lesbia Harford’s work is one of Ada Cambridge, whose extremely popular the most individual voices of literary fictional explorations of class and race Melbourne in the period after World War tensions have been reassessed in recent I. Known in her lifetime as a poet, she times, lived and worked for many years was only understood as a political novel- in Melbourne. Henry Kendall, the best ist many decades after her death in 1927, known of Australia’s colonial lyric poets, with the publication of The Invaluable also lived in the city for a time. Mystery in 1987. Harford’s novel prefigures

47 George Johnston’s My Brother Jack (1964) – are in the broadly social-realist tradition of Richardson’s work. All of these novels, which explore class and cultural ten- sions, have been translated into several European languages.

Literature since World War II As a force for convulsive social and cultural change, World War II was for twentieth century Melbourne what the discovery of gold had been for the colony a century earlier. What had been The True History of the Kelly predominantly an Anglo–Celtic culture Gang by internationally- was enriched by new voices from Europe, renowned novelist Peter as successive waves of Jewish, Greek and Carey – one of only two writers Italian immigrants arrived, to be joined to have been awarded the later by refugees and immigrants from Man Booker Prize twice Asia and the Middle East. Within the short space of half a century, Melbourne Poet, novelist and essayist acquired a new multicultural identity Chris Wallace-Crabbe and, as local publishing opportunities expanded, its writers were no longer so a large and diverse body of twentieth dependent on the demands of publishers century writing about the experiences of in Britain and the United States. displacement and dislocation in a time of Irrespective of the cultural traditions accelerating social and political change. that give it shape, the best of the vast The significance of Harford’s work was body of Melbourne writing since 1950 recognised by Nettie Palmer who, with looks not only inwards to the local and her husband, the novelist and dramatist the personal but also outwards to the Vance Palmer, was an early proponent wider world. The latter has increasingly of Australian writing. The Palmers were become part of the Australian experi- influential figures in Melbourne’s -liter ence because of the unprecedented ary life after the 1930s and were closely shifts wrought by political change, mass associated with Louis Esson, whose education, globalisation of the market- Pioneer Players (founded on the model place and the cultural opportunities of the Abbey Theatre in Dublin) occupies offered by inexpensive travel. Changes an important place in the history of in literary taste, brought about by the Australian drama. ever-widening ripples from European Australia’s most eminent pre-war intellectual storms, have caused new writer was Henry Handel Richardson evaluations of the meaning of ‘literature’. (Ethel Lindesay). whose greatest work It is not enough to think of literature as was based on her experience as a child novels, poems and plays, or as ‘high art’, and young woman in urban and regional the preserve of an educated elite. The Victoria. Several ‘Melbourne’ novels writ- boundaries between fiction and history, ten in the years before and after World fiction and autobiography, and ‘high’ and War II – such as Frank Hardy’s Power ‘popular’ art are frequently transgressed Without Glory (1950), Martin Boyd’s Lucinda in exciting ways, and Melbourne has pro- Brayford (1946) and his Langton novels, and duced some innovative border crossings.

48 New literary forms The internationally renowned Melbourne- born novelist Peter Carey (one of only two writers to have been awarded the Man Booker Prize twice) transmutes local history and myth into fiction for two highly acclaimed recent works, The True History of the Kelly Gang (2000) and My Life as a Fake (2003). The latter is inspired by Melbourne’s (and Australia’s) most celebrated literary hoax. Innovative perspectives are not exclusive to the novel, as the recent work of Melbourne poet, novelist and essayist Chris Wallace-Crabbe shows. For decades a cultural ambassador for Melbourne, and for Australian literature in general, this acclaimed writer has explored in his long narrative poem The Universe Looks Down (2005) a world in which an antipodean margin becomes the centre. Like Carey, Stiff by crime-writer he challenges his readers’ expectations Shane Maloney about conventional boundaries between the local and the universal, between the Grounded in the lives of Melbourne’s historical and the imagined. Jewish and Greek migrants, Arnold Zable’s Wallace-Crabbe’s younger contempo- writing explores displacement and its rary Dorothy Porter has made the verse effects on self-identity. Zable, who defines novel her distinctive form, shaping it as himself as a ‘storyteller’, works with crime fiction and edgy urban satire. Like refugees and asylum seekers and is the the work of Carey and Wallace-Crabbe, co-author (with the Iraqi-born actor Majid Porter’s poetry is widely known outside Shokor) of the play Kan Yama Kan (2002). Australia and has been translated into Doris Brett, like her expatriate sister several languages. Lily Brett, writes fiction based on her Porter is one of the latest descendants experience of growing up in Melbourne of Fergus Hume, the founder of the as the child of Holocaust survivors. She Melbourne crime-fiction novel. Another too writes in hybrid literary forms: Eating distinguished practitioner of the art is Peter the Underworld (2001) combines personal Temple, recently the recipient of inter- memoir with poetry and the telling of national crime fiction’s most prestigious fairytales and legends. Drusilla Modjeska, award, the Gold Dagger, for The Broken Shore author of Poppy (1990), and Beverley (2005). Shane Maloney is the author of the Farmer, who wrote A Body of Water (1990), very popular Murray Whelan novels, which are among other writers who have suc- have been translated into German, French, cessfully blended biography with fiction Finnish and Japanese. And similarly, Carmel and other styles of address. Bird, Kerry Greenwood and Garry Disher The appearance of Indigenous writer are leading Melbourne writers of crime fic- Alexis Wright’s Carpentaria (2006), winner tion. Disher’s work has twice received the of the 2007 Miles Franklin Literary Award, German Crime Fiction Award and has been is a milestone in Australian literature. shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Like her earlier Plains of Promise (1997),

49 Eating the Underworld by Doris Brett

Carpentaria by 2007 Miles Franklin Literary Award winner Alexis Wright

it has been universally acclaimed by He is a traditional storyteller who has reviewers and a wide spectrum of read- a strong involvement with community ers. Alexis Wright is currently living in projects in Melbourne’s western region. Melbourne. She has participated in events It is to be expected, given Melbourne’s such as Melbourne’s Emerging Writers’ large established Greek population, that Festival, which gives a prominent place there is a flourishing body of local writing to Indigenous writers. that draws upon this distinctive area of Tony Birch, an Indigenous writer and migrant experience. The novels and plays teacher of creative writing at Melbourne of Christos Tsiolkas have received wide- University, is a poet, short-story writer spread critical acclaim. Loaded (1995), and novelist. He is strongly committed to which was also made into a successful the craft of good writing, as was the gifted feature film, is a remarkable mapping Indigenous playwright and poet Lisa of Melbourne’s cultural topography, as Bellear, who died in 2006. Birch’s recently specific in its own way as Martin Boyd’s published collection of linked short earlier Anglo-centric explorations of the stories, Shadowboxing (2006), is a semi- city’s social geography. Tsiolkas’s most autobiographical account of growing up recent work, Dead Europe (2005), focuses in the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy. more insistently on the links between Bruce Pascoe, who belongs to the Melbourne and the horrors of postwar Wathaurong Aboriginal Cooperative, has Europe. It is a story that, in the words of published a well-received collection of one reviewer, ‘concerns Jews, Christians, short stories and two novels. With his wife Communists, Nazis, the shattering of the Lyn Harwood, he has also been the editor Eastern bloc, love, faith, God and Hell’.43 and publisher of Australian Short Stories Helen Garner is one of Australia’s for many years. Larry Walsh’s work, by most eminent writers. Her first novel, contrast, is oral rather than text-based. Monkey Grip (1977), born out of the

43 Kyla Ward, 2005, Dead Europe book review, ‘Tabula Rasa’, http://www.tabula-rasa.info/AusHorror/ DeadEurope.html

50 Shadowboxing by Tony Birch

Dead Europe by Christos Tsiolkas changes wrought in Melbourne society in Journey to the Stone Country (2002), to by the Vietnam War and 1970s feminism, the meeting between Anglo–Australian became a classic soon after its publica- values and those of the traditional tion. It has been followed by a string of owners of the land. award-winning novels and short-story Everyman’s Rules for Scientific Living collections, and by narratives grounded (2005) by Carrie Tiffany – like Miller, in Garner’s experience as a journalist. an emigrant from Britain – is a moving The First Stone, published in 1995, was and meticulously researched account the focus of the kind of sustained public of rural life in Victoria in the 1930s. The controversy that can only occur in a place novel’s eloquent testimony to the life of a where writing and writers are part of the particular time and place has a universal fabric of civic life. Her most recent book, appeal, recognised in its shortlisting in Joe Cinque’s Consolation (2004), has attracted 2006 for Britain’s prestigious Orange Prize. international attention as a highly per- Melbourne barrister Elliott Perlman, by sonal work of forensic journalism. contrast, writes uncompromisingly ‘urban’ In 2006 Helen Garner and Christos fiction. The Times Literary Supplement has Tsiolkas received Australia’s most described him as ‘Australia’s outstanding valuable writing award, the Melbourne social novelist’. Prize for Literature, in recognition of Gerald Murnane is the author of seven their outstanding contributions to novels, some of which have been published Melbourne’s cultural life. in the United States and Sweden. His work Alex Miller, two-time winner of is acclaimed for its distinctive mappings the Miles Franklin Award, explores a of geographic and psychic space. fictional terrain that ranges from con- Brian Castro, whose ancestry is a mix- temporary urban Australian experience ture of English, Portuguese and Chinese, to early twentieth century Europe and, is one of Australia’s most acclaimed

51 Helen Garner – one of Australia’s most eminent writers

Monkey Grip by Helen Garner

Romulus, My Father by Raimond Gaita

novelists. He is the author of eight novels, dynasty of writers and artists; the book some of which have been translated into is also a portrait of twentieth century French and Chinese. His work has been Melbourne cultural life. Her most recent awarded a string of prizes, including The work, Life Class (2007), is a memoir that Australian/Vogel Literary Award, several chronicles her experience of living and state Premier’s Literary Awards, and the writing in Melbourne. Brenda Niall, Janine Age Book of the Year award for fiction. Burke and Anne Galbally have written His fiction, like Miller’s and Murnane’s, acclaimed biographies of artists: Niall ranges over diverse cultures and attracts writes of Judy Cassab, Burke of Albert a wide readership. Tucker and Galbally of Charles Conder. Life writing – biography and auto- Melbourne academic writers such as biography – has a prominent place in Judith Brett, Geoffrey Serle and Philip Melbourne’s literary culture. One of its Ayers have written important biographies earlier twentieth century practitioners of political and military leaders. was the Russian–Jewish emigrant Judah Two of Australia’s most famous expa- Award-winning Waten, a pioneer of the tradition of triates, academic and controversialist writer Brenda Niall recording the lives of those displaced and Germaine Greer and entertainer Barry transported by political upheaval. Humphries (aka ‘housewife megastar’ Brenda Niall, the only biographer to Dame Edna Everage), have written have been awarded the Order of Australia, extensively about their experiences of is the author of several award-winning Melbourne life. works, the most ambitious of which is Philosopher Raimond Gaita’s acclaimed The Boyds (2002), a sweeping historical memoir of his Victorian childhood, study of Australia’s extraordinary family Romulus, My Father (1998) (winner of the

52 1998 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award) has already joined the ranks of classic accounts of growing up in Australia. This year has seen the release of a successful feature film based on the biography. Peter Rose is a leading figure in Melbourne’s literary life. He is the editor of Australia’s most prominent journal of lit- erary review and commentary, Australian Book Review, an accomplished poet and the author of Rose Boys (2001), a powerful account of the impact upon his famous sporting family of his late brother’s dis- ablement after a road accident. Inga Clendinnen, the Melbourne his- torian and anthropologist whose work on the Holocaust and Aztec cultures is inter- nationally renowned, has attracted a wide Dancing with Strangers audience for two recent works: Dancing by Inga Clendinnen with Strangers (2004), a meditation on the attempts at communication between Barry Humphries as ‘housewife ‘Australians’ and ‘British’ in the first years megastar’ Dame Edna Everage of European settlement; and Tiger’s Eye (2002), a highly personal meditation on Poetry illness and the power of memory. Her Since colonial times, poetry has occupied work contributes to an important new an important place in the literary life strand of Melbourne (and Australian) lit- of Melbourne. Since World War II, this erary culture: the sometimes book-length has been due in no small measure to essay, usually written by an academic the existence of a flourishing journal writer for a non-specialist readership. culture. This is typified by the long life Other practitioners of this significant of Meanjin, whose founding editor, Clem contribution to the literature of public Christesen, was himself a poet and debate include John Carroll, Robert author and concerned to place the best Dessaix, John Hirst, Robert Manne and locally written poetry in the company of Drusilla Modjeska. The journals Quarterly national and international contributions. Essay and The Monthly, both located in A.D. Hope, Vincent Buckley, Bruce Dawe, Melbourne, have been instrumental Chris Wallace-Crabbe, Thomas Shapcott, in promoting this important mode of Judith Rodriguez and Jennifer Strauss are writing. Its most recent practitioner is some of Australia’s best-known poets the former Age journalist Pamela Bone, and all have associations with Melbourne whose Bad Hair Days (2007), inspired by and with Meanjin. Similarly, a more recent the author’s experience of chemotherapy, generation of Melbourne-based poets has reflects on the relationship between per- been represented in the journal, includ- sonal and political worlds. Pamela Bone ing Gig Ryan, Ouyang Yu, Michael Farrell has been awarded the United Nations and Emma Lew. Media Peace Prize for her contributions Kevin Hart, one of Australia’s most to journalism. distinguished poets and academics,

53 is the recipient of many national and Playwriting international awards. America’s lead- Plays written by Melbourne dramatists ing literary critic, Harold Bloom, has have been part of the city’s flourishing written of his achievement: ‘the most theatrical life since the days of 19th-cen- outstanding poet of his generation… One tury melodrama and the ‘new’ theatre of of the major living poets in the English Esson’s Pioneer Players. The Melbourne language’. Other acclaimed Melbourne Theatre Company, La Mama and the poets are Philip Salom, who has written Pram Factory have all fostered playwrit- 10 books of poetry and has received ing in Melbourne. Alex Miller recalls the the Commonwealth Poetry Prize, Alex importance of two of these theatres in the Skovron and Jordie Albiston. late 1960s: The Greek-born poet Dimitris Tsaloumas, who immigrated to Melbourne Many of the dramatists who developed in 1952, has been honoured both in their craft at these two Melbourne Australia and in Greece for his finely theatres, writers such as John Romeril, honed lyric poetry, written in both English Louis Nowra, David Williamson, Jack Playwright Joanna Murray-Smith and Greek. One of Australia’s major poetry Hibberd and Alex Buzo… went on awards celebrates the achievement of the to become not only Melbourne’s but late Philip Hodgins, whose remarkable Australia’s greatest playwrights. The body of work has been acknowledged by works of all these writers continue to several important literary awards. this day to exert a profound influence Melbourne’s contemporary poetry on young writers and on the perception scene is rich and diverse. The Melbourne of Australians on what it means to be an Poets’ Union, which has a membership Australian. Hannie Rayson and Joanna of more than 300 writers, and La Mama Murray-Smith are two of Melbourne’s Poetica are two of several centres that internationally successful contemporary promote the publication, discussion and dramatists whose careers have built on performance of poetry. the great tradition established in the The work of the Polish-born Ania early days of the Pram and La Mama.44 Walwicz crosses the boundaries between poetry and theatre; some of her acclaimed Murray-Smith and Rayson have been works (Girlboytalk, Elegant, Telltale) were warmly acknowledged at home and ‘acted’ at La Mama and Anthill Theatres. abroad. The London critics were effusive La Mama Poetica, which has been about Murray-Smith’s Honour in 1995. operating since 1985, provides a home Rayson’s Hotel Sorrento, Life After George for experimental performance works: and Inheritance are also internationally polypoetry (‘poetry of many possibilities’) acclaimed. Among Melbourne’s other crosses the boundaries between text, distinguished writers for theatre and song, play and film. The achievement of film are Ron Elisha and Robert Hewett. Richard Frankland, Indigenous novelist, Richard Frankland is Australia’s foremost filmmaker and singer–songwriter, is contemporary Indigenous playwright. central to any account of poetry as per- His 2004 drama, Conversations with the formance in Melbourne. Dead, was performed for a United Nations

44 Alex Miller for Arts Victoria, August 2007.

54 audience. The acclaimed Australian actress Cate Blanchett began her career in a La Mama play by Kris Hemensley. The Melbourne dramatist Tom Wright has written two highly successful plays about real-life American ‘death row’ experiences, both of which were pre- miered at La Mama. His Lorelei (2003) has had a successful London performance and was this year’s winner (ahead of a Royal Shakespeare Company production) of the Sony Academy Award for Drama, while This is a True Story (2001) has also been well reviewed in London and has been translated into French.

Epic histories, literary non-fiction and literary criticism Watson’s Dictionary of Weasel A number of Melbourne writers today Words by Don Watson carry on the tradition of creative non- fiction pioneered in the 1960s. The genre former editor of The Age, former editor- has continued to see eloquence and in-chief of The Herald and Weekly Times, engagement brought to accounts of and twice winner of Australia’s prestige courage and commitment, from Geoffrey Walkley Award for journalism. His turf Blainey’s 1966 classic The Tyranny of stories have been called ‘character-driven Distance: How Distance Shaped Australia’s gems’ and his epic storytelling about History to his A Short History of the World everything from war to cricket has been (2000); from Don Watson’s best-selling, praised for its ‘gritty elegance’. multi-award winning Recollections of a Don Watson lives and works in Bleeding Heart: Paul Keating Prime Minister Melbourne where he lectures widely on (2002) to his Death Sentence: The Decay of writing and language. He has been an Public Language (2003); from Les Carlyon’s academic historian and writer of politi- Gallipoli (2001) to his The Great War (2006). cal satire for television and the stage. Professor Blainey is one of Australia’s After some time as research fellow at most significant and popular historians, The University of Melbourne, he became with more than 30 books to his name. His Prime Minister Paul Keating’s speech- most recent publications include Black writer and adviser until 1996. Kettle and Full Moon: Daily Life in a Vanished Dr Watson’s writing has appeared Australia, about the everyday experience in all major Australian journals and of most Australians between the eve of newspapers. He also writes feature the first gold rush and World War I. film scripts, the latest of which was Long-time Melbourne-based reporter, The Man Who Sued God. His Recollections author and educator Les Carlyon is a of a Bleeding Heart won the National

55 Biography Award and the Australian Gallipoli) and Fred Schepisi (for The Literary Studies Colin Roderick Award Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith). in 2002. Watson then published Death Internationally acclaimed screen- Sentence: The Decay of Public Language, writer Jan Sardi has been nominated for which was followed by his Dictionary an Academy Award for his screenplay of Weasel Words, both of which encour- of the 1996 Oscar-winning film Shine. age readers to renounce meaningless Sardi’s prolific writing includes the TV corporate and government jargon and series The Man From Snowy River and the embrace meaningful, precise language. 1988 screenplay for Ground Zero, a film Inner Melbourne is home to Peter exploring the Australian government’s Craven, arguably Australia’s pre-eminent investigations into deaths linked to (and certainly most influential) critic. He atomic testing in areas where Aboriginal was the founder and co-editor of Scripsi, populations lived. It was a finalist at the the long-running Melbourne-based Berlin Film Festival. international literary magazine that published Susan Sontag and Raymond Writing for children Carver alongside Helen Garner and Les Melbourne is one of the world’s leading Murray. Craven is also a former editor centres for the writing of children’s of The Best Australian Essays, The Best literature and is home to most of Australian Poems, The Best Australian Australia’s authors of children’s and Stories and Quarterly Essay. Wide-ranging young adult fiction. in his targets and provocative in tone, Ivan Southall’s adventure stories, he is often compared to Oscar Wilde. In based on his experiences as a pilot in his trademark opinionated style, he has World War II, became classics of the produced literary criticism for numerous postwar period. John Marsden has pub- newspapers, including a column that he lished more than 30 books for children contributed to The Australian for most of and teenagers, which, like Southall’s the 1990s. work, have been widely translated and honoured both locally and abroad. Screenwriting Marsden’s sales approach 3 million books Victoria and its capital are home ground internationally. Free copies of Marsden’s for a number of established screenwrit- Tomorrow, When the War Began (1994) were ers. As well as Don Watson, they include distributed to hundreds of thousands of Jan Sardi, Joanna Murray-Smith, David Swedish teenagers after it was selected Williamson and Fred Schepisi. Marieke by their peers as the book reluctant Hardy, new-media personality and readers would be most likely to enjoy. political-activist granddaughter of His creative-writing camps, located near communist author Frank Hardy, is an Melbourne, have attracted students from emerging screenwriter who recently Indonesia, Singapore and Turkey. wrote and produced a 22-part television Since the publication of Unreal in 1985, drama, Last Man Standing. A children’s Paul Jennings has become a household series, Short Cuts, which she wrote solo, name. He has written more than 100 books won an AWGIE award (the Australian and his sales figures approach eight million Writers’ Guild’s annual awards for worldwide. Morris Gleitzman (also a screen- excellence in screen, television, stage writer and dramatist) is another well-loved and radio writing) – an accolade she children’s author, whose humorous novels shares with David Williamson (for have achieved international success. Andy

56 Nim’s Island by Wendy Orr has been translated into 10 languages and is now being made into a feature film

Animalia by Graeme Base, a classic of contemporary illustrated books

Griffith’s novels for younger readers have films and other audiovisual media for delighted children of all ages, both in children, and the promotion of these Australia and abroad. His most successful programs in the community. Since its title The Day My Bum Went Psycho was a New inception in the early 1980s it has created York Times best-seller. some of the most celebrated television Other acclaimed Melbourne children’s ever produced for children – and hence authors include Elizabeth Honey, Alison some important opportunities for local Lester, Kirsty Murray, Martine Murray writers. The telemovie series Winners, and Wendy Orr. Collectively, their work which celebrates individuality and the has been translated into 25 languages, need for courage and ingenuity in facing including Japanese, Korean and Serbian. difficult situations, sold into 90 countries Orr’s Nim’s Island (2000), translated into and scooped the pool at the 1986 Chicago 10 languages, is being made into a feature International Festival of Children’s Films. film in 2008. One telemovie in the series – Just Friends, Melbourne-based Indigenous author written by Melbourne’s Jan Sardi – Boori Pryor, working with Meme McDonald, won first prize, voted by the children’s has published groundbreaking books about audience as the most popular video. The the experiences of Indigenous children. ACTF’s long-running series Round the Author and illustrator Graeme Base Twist, written by Paul Jennings, won its enjoys an international reputation author two AWGIEs and sold into more among both adults and children. His than 100 countries. Animalia (1986) has become a classic of contemporary illustrated books. Writing for young adults The Melbourne-based Australian In the last 25 years, Melbourne writers Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF) and publishers have been at the forefront is a national non-profit organisation of developing young adult writing as a encouraging the development, production distinctive contemporary genre occupying and dissemination of television programs, the populous territory between children’s

57 Abdel-Fattah’s novels explore the experi- ences of contemporary immigrant families. The works of all these authors, and many other Melbourne writers, are studied in secondary schools around Australia.

Literature in Melbourne flourishes in a variety of forms, some conventional but much of it innovative and experimental. The multiplicity of writing styles mirrors the great diversity of audience and read- ership. Melbourne can justifiably claim to being Australia’s ‘capital’ for certain kinds of writing – some forms of life writing (for example, Jewish biography and memoir, and writing about the lives of artists), crime fiction and children’s and young adult literature. It is interesting to see the emergence in recent years of novels Wicked! by well-loved children’s and short stories that revisit the past and writers Morris Gleitzmann remap the terrain of regional Australia and Paul Jennings from highly personal contemporary perspectives. As the city’s population and adult literature. Sonya Hartnett is continues to swell, its racial and ethnic widely regarded as one of Australia’s heterogeneity may be expected to acquire outstanding literary novelists in the genre, ever more complex and exciting forms, with several of her novels published in which will be reflected in the ways in the ‘cross-over’ market for both adult and which new and older generations write young adult imprints. Her books have won about their distinctive experiences. and been shortlisted for numerous awards Diversity is the only true constant in the both in Australia and abroad, including the literature of Melbourne. What is certain Guardian (UK) and the Commonwealth is that the writing of the coming decades Writers’ Prize. Maureen McCarthy and will continue to explore in new ways the David Metzenthen’s distinctively Australian themes of displacement and alienation, style has garnered a large and devoted which can be traced back to the writing readership. Archie Fusillo and Randa of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

58 Alice Pung Unpolished Gem by Alice Pung Alice Pung’s first novel,Unpolished Gem (2006), tells the story of growing up with her Chinese–Cambodian family in Melbourne’s working class suburb of Footscray. ‘This story does not begin on a boat,’ are the opening lines of the book, and so begins the quintessentially Australian setting of the story in Melbourne’s Footscray Market, ‘a market filled with fat pigs and thin people.’ Alice is the classic migrant child, immersed in two cultures, whose complex personal story typifies the narratives of recent migrants to Australia – when caught between the old and the new, fascinating and multifaceted stories are revealed. Today, Alice is a writer and lawyer whose writing regularly appears in Melbourne newspapers and journals.

59 9 Publishing: Shaping Ideas and Words

60 Melbourne’s publishing culture is as old publishers established permanent foot- as the settlement itself. From its earliest holds in the Australian market, and in years as a colony the city has led the 1884 the House of Cassell and Ward and way in developing Australian literature. Lock opened branches in Melbourne. This Melbourne publishers have fought hard was followed by Whitcombe and Tombs in to both shape and reflect an Australian 1903, Macmillan in 1904 and both Hodder culture that is confident of its place in and Oxford University Press in 1908. the world. Large and small presses are In 1888, Thomas Lothian started his now based in the city and Melbourne Melbourne operations as an agent for has a long history in the trade of books, Walter C. Scott, but by 1905 he had struck from the early bookseller–publishers out on his own. His Lothian Books would to international companies and home- remain an independent, family-owned grown innovators. Australian publisher for more than 100 The first Melbourne business to deal years, most recently run by Lothian’s in print was established in 1840, a few grandson Peter. (It was bought by Time short years after the city’s founding. Warner Books early in 2006, which in But it wasn’t until a decade later that turn was purchased by Hachette Livre Melbourne’s cultural life took off. When later in the same year.) Lothian Books gold was discovered in towns across began its children’s list in 1916 with the the state, the capital experienced an classic Elves and Fairies by Ida Rentoul economic boom beyond imagination, and Outhwaite and Annie R. Rentoul, but it many of the tens of thousands of immi- wasn’t alone; other Melbourne-based grants were highly literate free settlers. publishers had already made successful This led to a more organised book trade forays into children’s publishing. – one that, in Melbourne, revolved around In 1871, George Robertson had the importing, bookselling and publishing published the first Australian children’s of George Robertson (not to be confused book printed in colour and this achieve- with Sydney’s George Robertson, who ment was followed in 1879 with the later founded Angus & Robertson). publication of Cole’s Funny Picture Book At this time, publishing and book- by Melbourne’s bookselling–publishing selling worked as a mixed business, and raconteur E.W. Cole. Cole’s book was the Robertson was the first Australian to set most popular Australian children’s book up his own publishing department. By the published before World War II, reportedly time of his retirement he had published selling 630,000 copies. Other important 600 titles, and for 30 years had distributed children’s titles included Seven Little the Monthly Book Circular. In these early Australians, which was locally published years Robertson was the most significant by Ward, Lock & Bowdon Company bookseller and publisher, and before retir- in 1894, and Ethel Pedley’s Dot and the ing in 1891 he had trained a great many Kangaroo, published by the London office others who would begin businesses vital of Burleigh in 1899. Over the next century to Australia’s publishing industry. Melbourne would emerge as the key site Over the second half of the 19th cen- for children’s publishing in Australia. tury the colonial book trade had become As the Australian book trade expanded more profitable and British publishers there was a need to treat it with greater sought to regain the trade being devel- professionalism, and in 1921 Melburnian oped by Australian firms. International Dan Thorpe first published his journal

61 for the bookselling and publishing trade, books to the Frankfurt Book Fair, and from the Australian Stationery and Fancy Goods 1966 he served on the national advisory Journal. This would become the journal committee of UNESCO, and was its chair known today as Bookseller+Publisher, and from 1973 to 1977. the firm D.W. Thorpe would later introduce Melbourne’s place as the base for the Weekly Book Newsletter and the biblio- Australian educational publishing was graphic database Books in Print to further strengthened after World War II. The assist both publishers and booksellers. postwar optimism, combined with the Only a year after Thorpe began his busi- baby boom and economic prosperity, ness, Melbourne University Press (MUP meant that a great deal more money was – now known as Melbourne University put into education than ever before. The Publishing) also began publishing, and war had loosened the ties that bound MUP remains Australia’s oldest operating Australia to England, and this led to a re- university press. While it was founded to imagining of what it was to be Australian. sell books and stationery to students, it This, in turn, provided the foundation was quick to develop its own publishing for what would be a reinvention of the program and it now publishes around 70 Australian publishing industry. books a year and maintains a backlist of more than 350 titles. The turning point in Australian Educational publishers have made publishing Melbourne their Australian base, and Australian publishing truly came into its one of the most prominent of the early own in the second half of the 20th cen- publishers was Frank Cheshire. Frank tury. A number of publishers and editors Cheshire began his bookselling career rallied against the dominance of over- in 1911, working for Melbourne’s George seas publishers, and one of the earliest Robertson, and established his own of the small, independent presses was bookselling business in 1925. In 1932, Lansdowne Press. In 1960, Lloyd O’Neil he entered the world of publishing by founded the press in Melbourne, and printing the works of Shakespeare in it wore its nationalist endeavour on its his pitch for the educational market. sleeve, publishing a range of non-fiction After World War II, Cheshire Publishing titles that reflected the yearnings of the was able to promote Andrew Fabinyi, Australian public. Unfortunately, the who had escaped from Hungary in 1939, story of the early Australian indepen- to the position of general manager. dent publishers was one of vicissitudes, Fabinyi would become a key part of and Lansdowne didn’t survive for long. Melbourne’s twentieth century publish- In 1963, after publishing 50 titles, O’Neil ing scene, and under his management sold his company to Cheshire. O’Neil Cheshire Publishing would become one would go on to establish two more of Australia’s best-known educational publishing companies – Lloyd O’Neil and (and general) publishers. It would release Currey O’Neil – publishing approximately classic Australian books such as Robin 80 titles before selling these companies Boyd’s The Australian Ugliness and Alan to Penguin in 1987. Marshall’s I Can Jump Puddles. In 1961, Penguin was one of the most Fabinyi was the first Australian to take important international publishers to

62 base itself in Melbourne. It brought its books, including the classic The Tyranny of operations to the city in 1946, only 10 Distance by Geoffrey Blainey. years after Allen Lane had introduced These were heady times for Australian his groundbreaking paperbacks. Until cultural life and Melbourne publishing the early 1960s, Penguin was mostly blossomed thanks to a large number of a distribution service for its overseas small, independent presses. These com- titles, but in 1963 this was to change. In panies rallied around a belief that the that year it released its first Australian multinational publishers had failed the Penguins: To the Islands, by Randolph needs of Australian writers and readers, Stow, Kangaroo Tales, edited by Rosemary and thus these smaller publishers were Wighton, and Three Australian Plays, intent on raising the profile of local writ- edited by Alan Seymour. These were fol- ers and communicating new ideas to an lowed by classics by Donald Horne and engaged readership. Melbourne was a Joan Lindsay (whose Picnic at Hanging hotbed of activity, and these publishers Rock remains one of Penguin’s best- included Outback Press, Hyland House selling titles). Penguin is now one of the and McPhee Gribble. world’s three largest English language Outback Press began in 1973 and publishers and has in its stable a num- published fiction, poetry and non-fiction ber of important Australian writers, until 1980, including the classic collection including Geoffrey Blainey, Stephanie of Australian women’s poetry Mother, I’m Alexander, Tim Winton, Graeme Base, Rooted. Outback was the first publishing Robert Drewe, Nick Earls, Sonya Hartnett endeavour of Morry Schwartz, who is cur- and Michael Leunig. rently director of Melbourne’s Black Inc. Penguin’s Australian list grew over A few years after the establishment the second half of the 20th century, of Outback Press, two women – Hilary assisted by co-publishing arrangements McPhee and Diana Gribble – joined forces with key Australian independents such to found one of Australia’s most historically as McPhee Gribble and Omnibus. In addi- prominent, independent presses. McPhee tion, Penguin continues to assist a range Gribble began by packaging45 books for of independent publishers – such as Text Penguin and enjoyed a phenomenal suc- Publishing, Scribe Publications and Black cess with its Practical Puffins series. Three Inc. – in distributing their books in the million of these educational titles were Australian marketplace. sold around the world and they provided The reawakening of a ‘cultural McPhee Gribble with the cash flow to sup- nationalism’ in the 1960s led to a great port its more literary ambitions. During many new publishing ventures. One the 1970s and 80s it published a number of early independent of the new era was important Australian authors and classic Sun Books, which was formed by three Australian titles, including Helen Garner’s entrepreneurs who left Penguin in 1965: Monkey Grip and Kathy Lette and Gabrielle Geoffrey Dutton, Max Harris and Brian Carey’s Puberty Blues, in addition to books Stonier. Sun Books, which became the by Beverley Farmer, Barry Hill, Drusilla paperback imprint of the Macmillan Modjeska, Sally Morrison and Tim Winton. Company of Australia in 1971, lasted until In the 1980s, McPhee Gribble entered into 1980. In this time it had published 180 a co-publishing agreement with Penguin,

45 The term ‘packaging’ refers to conceiving, commissioning and producing a title, then selling it as a completed product to a third-party publisher.

63 printery in 1976 before beginning to pub- lish titles in the 1980s. Sisters Publishing was established by five women publishers in 1997 and produced 13 works of fiction, non-fiction and poetry over five years, and set up a book club and newsletter (the first of which was sent to 25,000 women). Spinifex Press began publishing in 1991 and was soon exporting Australian books to international markets – with more than 100 authors on its books. In 2001, it gained control of Sybylla’s backlist and Spinifex Press is now charting new terri- tory with its publication of e-books.

Melbourne publishing today As seen in Chapter 5, publishing is big busi- Lonely Planet sells more than ness in Australia and around one-third of six million guidebooks annually all people employed in Australian publish- ing are working in Melbourne today. Lonely Planet founders Melbourne’s spirited culture has Maureen and Tony Wheeler led to the foundation of a number of unique, independent publishing houses and the company was eventually sold that have forged Australia’s literary to Penguin in 1989. While a great many identity, including publishers such independents found it hard to survive as Text Publishing, Black Inc., Scribe the boom period of Australian publishing, Publications and Hardie Grant. Scribe Hyland House (established in 1977) con- Publications won the Australian Book tinues publishing as an independent press Industry Award for Best Small Publisher to this day. It is notably the home of two in 2006 and Black Inc. kept Melbourne of the most celebrated Indigenous writers, in the spotlight by winning the award Lionel Fogarty and the late Kevin Gilbert. in 2007. But of Australia’s independent In the mid-1970s, the spirit of femi- publishers, Text Publishing has grown to nism was alive and International Women’s be the most prominent. Year was celebrated in 1975 with the pub- Among the large multinationals, lication of key Australian feminist books the city’s largest and greatest success is The Other Half (Penguin) and the above- Lonely Planet, an international leader mentioned Mother, I’m Rooted. Melbourne in independent travel publications. The was soon at the forefront of feminist book company was established in 1973 by Tony publishing through a variety of presses, and Maureen Wheeler, with the publica- including Sybylla Press, Sisters Publishing tion of their first guidebookAcross Asia on and Spinifex Press. the Cheap (written, typed and stapled on Sybylla was the longest-surviving their own kitchen table); it was sold to BBC feminist press in Australia, establishing a Worldwide – the commercial arm of the

64 An independent spirit Text Publishing was founded by Diana Gribble and Eric Beecher and began its activities as a joint venture with Reed Publishing, before this alliance was dissolved in 1993. Michael Heyward had joined Diana Gribble in 1992 and together they set about recreating the company, built a list that covered a broad range of titles – from non-fiction to crime to erotica to literary fiction in translation. Text Publishing has enjoyed great success overseas and three of its authors have recently been nominated for the Man Booker Prize (Maria Hyland, Kate Grenville and Lloyd Jones). Over the last decade, Text Publishing has shown a strong engagement with writers of all nationalities, and has published 22 non-English writers in translation, while exporting 31 Australian writers into a variety of other languages. (Internationally renowned author Tim Flannery has been translated into 32 languages and Peter Temple has been translated into 18 languages.) This internationalism has favoured the company, and over five years at the end of the 1990s overseas sales grew from 2% to 25% of its turnover. In 2003, Text Publishing (as part of Text Media) was sold to the much larger Australian Fairfax Group, but in 2004 Heyward established a strategic partnership with British publisher Canongate in a bid to protect Text Publishing’s independence.

65 BBC – more than 30 years later, in 2007. and readers alike. The company has one of Meanwhile Lonely Planet had published the most successful international rights more than 500 titles in 118 countries, and departments in Australia, and its chil- with annual sales of more than six mil- dren’s books have sold widely to overseas lion guidebooks, it sells about a quarter publishers in both the United Kingdom of all English-language guidebooks. It has and United States and have appeared more than 500 employees in Melbourne in numerous foreign-language editions, and more than 300 on-the-road authors. including Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Through the Lonely Planet Foundation, Hebrew, German, Danish, Catalan, the company has distributed 5% of its Portuguese, Greek, Italian, Latvian, Thai, annual profit to charities based mainly in Turkish, Estonian, Serbian, Lithuanian, the developing world, focusing primarily Russian, Hungarian and French. on health, education, conservation and Other Melbourne firms that are very the environment. highly regarded in children’s publishing Among the many genres of books, include Hardie Grant Egmont, which has children’s book publishing has firmly had a significant impact with its range cemented itself in Melbourne. It is the of junior fiction titles; Funtastic, which profusion of smaller editorial offices has enjoyed huge growth in commercial of multinationals and independent character-based publishing; and Black publishing houses that give Melbourne’s Dog Books, a thriving small, independent children’s publishing the cultural edge. publisher, which won all three awards In 2007, almost 60% of the children’s and honours for ‘information books’ books published by the 12 largest firms at the 2007 Children’s Book Council of were produced by Melbourne-based busi- Australia’s Awards. Indeed, the awards nesses. Penguin Books is the largest of are probably the best measure of suc- these and it regularly publishes (with its cess in Australian children’s publishing, agencies) more children’s books than any and since 2000, 50% of books awarded or other Australian publisher. Another mul- honoured were produced by Melbourne- tinational with its children’s publishing based publishers. Of the 117 awards headquarters in Melbourne is Hachette and honours bestowed since 2000, 25 Livre, which joins Penguin in the top five have gone to Penguin and its affiliated by size and publishes under the Lothian imprints, 18 to Allen & Unwin and 12 to imprint. Lothian Books. Also based in Melbourne, and renowned In addition to the swathe of children’s for a diverse list, Allen & Unwin is one of publishers, Melbourne still provides a six major trade publishers in Australia base for Australia’s broadest range of and the largest of the independents. It has educational and academic publishers. imported a number of best-selling and Almost half of the Australian Publishers critically acclaimed novels from Germany, Association’s 30 educational publish- Holland, Sweden, France and Thailand. ers are based in Melbourne, and these With particular strengths in young adult include Cambridge University Press, novels and children’s picture books, its list Curriculum Corporation, Macmillan is highly regarded by reviewers, booksellers Education, Oxford University Press,

66 Cengage Learning Australia (formerly Thomson Learning Australia) and Pearson Education Schools Division. Enjoying terrific success in the niche area of audio books is Melbourne- based Bolinda Publishing. Bolinda has become the number one audio and large- print publisher in Australia and has set up subsidiary offices in the United States and the United Kingdom. Audio book publisher Louis Braille Audio was estab- lished in 1993 by the Braille and Talking Book Library and is now the largest producer of unabridged Australian audio books, releasing 92 new titles each year The Monthly publishes in cassette and CD formats. writing on Australian politics, Melbourne’s independent streak has society and culture from the allowed the city’s publishing industry to nation’s best thinkers. excel in a range of niche areas. It is home to Australia’s leading publisher of poetry the genre of social realism. Overland has (Five Islands Press) and has always been investigated important social issues and the national hub for literary magazines. published many great Australian writers, In 2006, the state government arts body including Frank Hardy, Patrick White, Arts Victoria funded nine publications, Peter Carey, Tim Winton, Elizabeth Jolley and more than half of the national maga- and Janette Turner Hospital. It has also zines funded by the federal government’s been well regarded for showing an inter- arts body, the Australia Council, were est in overseas literature, particularly published in Melbourne. Indeed, three contemporary Chinese literature. With of Australia’s most important literary the growth in postwar Australian pub- magazines – Meanjin, Overland and the lishing, the Australian Book Review was Australian Book Review – are all based in established in 1961 and is Australia’s Melbourne. oldest and premier literary review. With Although founded in Brisbane in its head office in Melbourne, it has a 1940, Meanjin moved to Melbourne in national scope and readership, and is 1945. It has since attracted contributions committed to highlighting the full range and debate from the leading figures of critical and creative writing from in Australian letters and provided an around Australia. Australian audience for leading interna- Melbourne is also home to many tional writers, including Arthur Miller, radical and alternative publishers, Anaïs Nin, Ezra Pound, Jean-Paul Sartre, including Arena Press, which publishes Alexander Solzhenitsyn and Dylan both Arena Magazine and Arena Journal, Thomas. Overland is also more than 50 and Vulgar Press – dedicated to the years old and was founded to develop publication of working-class literature.

67 These publishers make a significant con- region, while Papyrus Publishing was tribution to the great diversity of views established in 1991 and focuses on pub- and public discussion, as does Black Inc. lishing poetry and fiction by authors of with its Quarterly Essay and The Monthly diverse cultural backgrounds. In addition magazine. Quarterly Essay has helped to individual titles, Papyrus also publishes revive the long-form essay in Australia the Australian Multicultural Book Review, and The Monthly has brought a much which has been nominated twice for an broader Australian audience to fine writ- Australian Human Rights Awards. World ing on social issues of importance. Poetry recently released its first title – a Many more literary publishers are multilingual anthology called Bulayt based in Melbourne than anywhere bulayt – which featured the work of four else in Australia, and they are pushing poets writing in languages other than the boundaries of literary endeavour in English – Cristina Neesham (Romanian), innovative ways, providing leadership in Hidayet Ceylan (Turkish) and Bruce areas as diverse as the reviewing of chil- Pascoe and Vanessa Fisher (each writing dren’s literature (Viewpoint); writing by in their respective Indigenous Australian young people (Voiceworks), online poetry language). Owl Publishing is a small, (Cordite), the publication of spoken word independent publisher founded in 1992 to (Going Down Swinging), the reinvention of document the efforts of Greek–Australian the literary salon (Sleepers Publishing), writers. Many of its books are published the reinvigoration of short-story pub- in bilingual form – aiming to cultivate lication (Cardigan Press), innovation in and promote bilingualism. In addition design (Is Not magazine), radical and to these five publishers, Melbourne also alternative publishing (Collective Effort boasts more that 100 multilingual news- Press), and the publication of religious papers and radio programs. (See Chapter issues (Eureka Street). 15 for details of some of these.) All these small presses and magazines Melbourne’s cultural climate also support the promotion of literature and its promotes an engagement with those engagement with broad audiences across writers and readers traditionally outside the city and country, and many more elite areas of literary endeavour. It is the specifically try to engage with languages home base for the Australian operations of from around the world. Translation and The Big Issue – a magazine sold in almost multilingual publication are a feature of every Australian capital city by people Melbourne publishing and are the focus experiencing homelessness or long-term of publishers such as Ocean Press, Indra unemployment. Inner-city governments Publishing, Papyrus Publishing, World have also supported unique publications Poetry and Owl Publishing. such as Roomers and Subterrain; both give Ocean Press publishes Che Guevara’s marginalised people a chance to air their written works in English and Spanish edi- stories, and Roomers has published 32 issues tions throughout the United States and over 11 years, giving voice to the creative Europe. Indra Publishing was established work of ‘rooming house’ residents. in 1987 and specialises in works that Finally, there are also many hundreds reflect Australia’s place in the Asia–Pacific of Melbourne creators who publish a

68 Is Not magazine uses innovative design, distribution and editorial strategies, pushing the boundaries of literary endeavour. Featured here is issue 9, ’Talk is not Cheap’. diverse range of home-made books and public. One such zine, called YOU, takes magazines, popularly known as ‘zines’. At the form of a letter addressed to ‘you’ the 2007 Independent Press and Zine Fair, and has been distributed anonymously 65 stallholders came to Melbourne from within Melbourne on a weekly basis since five Australian states, and 60 of these November 2001. stallholders originated in Melbourne. The ‘zine-makers’ sold thousands of different hand-made books and magazines and, while many of these publishers produce their work for a limited audience, many distribute their work free to the general

69 10 Organisations: Supporting a Literary Melbourne

70 Melbourne’s city council, the City of and organises the biennial Reading Matters Melbourne, has led the way in creating lit- conference. This conference keeps teachers, erary opportunities for new communities. readers and writers from across Australia It offers grants to support professional in touch with the crucial issues and ideas writers and literary organisations and in youth literature, and always includes it assists projects that are initiated and an outstanding selection of international driven by those who are disadvantaged writers (the 2007 guest list included writ- and marginalised. Recently it has funded ers from the United States, the United workshops for non-English speakers Kingdom, Ireland and New Zealand). to discover their voice through poetry; Victoria currently forms the national an anthology of writings by homeless executive for the Children’s Book Council people; and a cross-cultural, multi-art- of Australia (CBCA), which organises the form event involving writers and artists industry’s annual CBCA Awards (over from the city’s Mediterranean and Middle half of which have gone to Victorian pub- Eastern communities. In addition, the lishers since 2000). Further enhancing City of Melbourne’s Town Hall provides a the culture of Australian picture books grand focus for many of the city’s word- are two Melbourne centres focusing on based activities, from the Melbourne children’s book illustrators and authors. Writers’ Festival to the Emerging Writers’ Books Illustrated curates exhibitions Festival and the Melbourne International of original book illustrations, runs Comedy Festival. workshops and offers a consultation Melbourne is home to a significant service for publishers and illustrators. number of literary organisations that Dromkeen, based at Riddells Creek just service writers, the industry and the over 30 minutes from the city, is home literary community across Australia. to the Australian Children’s Literature These bodies cater to a wide variety of Collection – a unique collection of original literary niches, and they all seek to bet- artwork, manuscripts and other material ter the literary industry for all involved. from Australian children’s books – and They include national and international runs a dynamic educational, research bodies with headquarters and branches and residential program. Melbourne in Melbourne, as well as an array of local also hosts a branch of the International organisations that meet the literary Society of Children’s Book Writers and needs of Victorians. Illustrators and the headquarters for With so many children’s book publish- Illustrators Australia. ers based in Melbourne, a great number Two of the city’s key organisations for of organisations across the city cater to writers are the Victorian Writers’ Centre this sector. In the heart of Melbourne, at (VWC) – the peak body for writers in the the State Library of Victoria, the Centre state – and Express Media, a national body for Youth Literature is one of the most that provides literary opportunities for forward-thinking organisations working in young media-makers across the country children’s publishing. The centre, estab- (see feature box). Both are headquartered lished in 1991, shows international in Melbourne’s cultural precinct and are leadership in writing for young adults. It hubs for their communities of writers. offers events for young people and profes- The VWC has almost 2500 members and sionals involved in children’s literature, provides information and services to

71 these writers and the broader community. (ABA). To this day the ABA’s headquarters It manages writers’ studios around the are based in Melbourne and the associa- city, publishes a monthly magazine and tion currently provides representation to runs a large number of workshops and 780 booksellers across the country. Other literary events. key industry bodies based in the city are Melbourne has the most active poetry those that provide both booksellers and scene in Australia and is home to most of publishers with bibliographic data. Australia’s literary magazines. A number The ISBN Agency is based in Melbourne of organisations have grown to meet and is a part of the international concern the needs of these important activities, Thorpe-Bowker, which incorporated the including the Australian Poetry Centre, business first established in the city the Melbourne Poets Union and the Small by Dan Thorpe in 1921. Thorpe-Bowker Press Underground Network Community. is now Australia’s leading bibliographic The Australian Poetry Centre, established information provider for book profession- in Melbourne in mid-2007, was formed als. Another key provider of bibliographic to strengthen the presence and profile of data to Australian booksellers, publishers Australian poetry within Australia and and libraries is Nielsen Bookdata, also overseas and to promote the writing, based in Melbourne. reading and appreciation of poetry as an Given the multicultural makeup of integral part of personal and community Melbourne, it stands to reason that the life. The Melbourne Poets Union was city provides a home base for a number of formed in 1977, has about 350 members international organisations. Both the Asia and is also dedicated to the development and Pacific Writers Network (APWN) and and promotion of poetry. the Australian & New Zealand Society of The Small Press Underground Network Indexers are managed from Melbourne. Community is an industry service organi- The APWN is an alliance of writers, sation that has recently incorporated individuals and organisations that work in Melbourne. This national association with language and stories from across was formed to improve the interests of the Asia–Pacific region. It was an initiative small, independent presses and maga- of two other Melbourne-based organisa- zines across Australia. It seeks to raise tions with an international focus: the the profile of the small presses and to Melbourne PEN Centre and Asialink. create economies of scale for distribu- The Melbourne PEN Centre is the tion, marketing and cultural engagement local branch of International PEN, and with readers. this organisation defends the writer’s The earliest body formed to represent freedom of expression and fosters inter- the interests of the book trade in the national co-operation on a literary level. state was the Booksellers & Stationers Asialink (see feature box, Chapter 11) Association of Victoria, founded in the is a non-academic centre based at the 1870s. This was followed by the Victorian University of Melbourne and is Australia’s Wholesale Booksellers’ Association in leading centre for the promotion of 1908 and then in 1924 the Associated public understanding of the countries of Booksellers of Australia and New Asia and of Australia’s role in the region. Zealand – the body that would become It runs several programs – including a the Australian Booksellers Association literature residency program – which

72 A youthful voice Voiceworks is a national Express Media encourages people under the age of 25 to create quarterly magazine that new literary work, which it publishes in one of Australia’s features the work of significant literary magazines,Voiceworks . According to editor young Australian writers Ryan Paine, ‘Voiceworks is THE place where young writers can and artists under 25. express themselves by developing their creative skills.’ Express Media also partners the Emerging Writers’ Festival, runs a mentorship program, workshops and events, presents the John Marsden Prize for Young Australian Writers (see Chapter 11 for details of the award) and publishes various one-off publications, such as Incommunicado, a collection of work from young writers throughout the Commonwealth. Express Media’s programs have given countless young Australians the chance to participate in exhibitions, performances and online projects and in various writing, media and arts projects – providing unique professional development pathways for the country’s emerging writing talent.

73 see a number of writers working in loca- Melbourne groups supporting the pres- tions from India to Singapore, China and ervation of Indigenous languages and Japan. Asialink also runs a large number stories include the Koorie Heritage Trust’s of events in the city that feature authors Oral History Unit, which preserves the and academics; these provide an oppor- stories of Indigenous elders for all time, tunity to engage with issues that relate to and the Victorian Aboriginal Corporation the Australia–Asia region. Organisations for Languages. Both have their offices in that work in parallel with the APWN, the city centre. Melbourne PEN and Asialink include To further represent the great num- World Poetry, the Koorie Heritage Trust ber of cultures making up Melbourne’s and Multicultural Arts Victoria. population, Multicultural Arts Victoria World Poetry’s raison d’être is to work exists to provide opportunities to writers, towards the recognition of literatures artists and communities from culturally outside the English language sphere. and linguistically diverse backgrounds. To this end, in 2005 it managed In Other It is just one of the great number of Words, a festival of poetry in translation, organisations supported by the state gov- and in 2006 it published Bulayt bulayt – ernment to assist and promote writers of an anthology of poetry from four poets a variety of stripes. writing in languages other than English, For a full list of relevant international, including two Indigenous poets who national and state organisations based in wrote in their own languages. Other Melbourne, see Appendix 2.

74 75 11 Financial Support: Fostering Fine Writing

76 2007 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards. Image courtesy State Library of Victoria

Creative communities thrive on institu- assist the publication of six books through tional support – at one end of the process its Writing about Melbourne program. it inspires and facilitates output and at In 2008, the Victorian Premier’s the other it brings both recognition and Literary Awards, the state’s official vehi- incentive. The Victorian Government cle for literary recognition, will present supports literature on an annual basis some of Australia’s richest literary prizes through grants to writers, publishers and to the best Australian writers in fiction, industry organisations, as well as financ- non-fiction, poetry, drama, screenwrit- ing a range of honours administered by ing, journalism and music theatre. The the State Library of Victoria (SLV). 2008 awards will also honour the best The SLV, with annual funding from Indigenous writer; young adult fiction; the Victorian Government and the finan- essays that advance public debate; writ- cial support of its Foundation, expresses ing about Italians in Australia; a first a commitment to original scholarship book of history; and the best unpublished through creative fellowships. From 2003 manuscript by an emerging Victorian to 2006 these fellowships supported 48 writer, an award that offers editorial projects, with stipends ranging from support to develop the manuscript in $12,500 to $50,000. Local governments addition to the cash prize. also offer grants to writers, and in 2007 While the state government may be the City of Melbourne offered $30,000 to the principal sponsor of literary prizes

77 and grants, the richest literary award Scriptwriters are well supported by in Australia, the Melbourne Prize for The RE Ross Trust, the SLV and the Arts Literature, is managed by a philanthropic Centre. The SLV administers a number trust. The Melbourne Prize offers $30,000 of script-development awards, while the to both an established and an early Arts Centre offers the Wal Cherry Play of career writer, and the winner of the main the Year, for the best un-produced work prize is also awarded $30,000 through by a Victorian; the Full Tilt program, the Melbourne Sister City International for developing new works; and Short & Travel Scholarship. Sweet, which provides $20,000 in prizes There are other grants that spe- and development opportunities for the cifically assist writers to engage with best 10-minute script. communities outside of Australia – the Other prizes and programs also most significant of these being awarded support the development of emerging by Asialink. The University of Melbourne writers, none more important than the also offers a range of awards to assist John Marsden Prize for Young Australian writers, including the Dinny O’Hearn Writers. This prize is administered by Memorial Fellowship, for emerging Melbourne-based Express Media, and the writers; the Asher Literary Award, for a $2500 first prize is donated by best-selling female author of an anti-war work; the young-adult fiction author John Marsden. Peter Blazey Fellowship, for biography, Express Media also offers a national autobiography and life writing; and the mentorship program for writers under Kate Challis RAKA Award – which, at 30, providing mentorship for writers of $25,000, is one of Australia’s most pres- novels, poems, plays and journalism. tigious national awards for Indigenous In addition to all these opportunities, creative artists, literary and visual. there are numerous others prizes that Melbourne-based organisations originate from newspapers, magazines bestow a great many awards across a and publishers, and all offer substantial variety of literary niches. Melbourne rewards for writers. Perhaps the most is home to both the Ned Kelly Awards, significant of these are the Age Book of honouring the best Australian crime the Year awards, which offer $10,000 to writing; and the Sisters in Crime awards winners in fiction, non-fiction and poetry, for the best female crime writer. The as well as $10,000 to the book chosen Australian Book Review offers a $10,000 as Book of the Year. Many other smaller prize for the best essay; the Victorian awards are offered by Melbourne-based Writers’ Centre offers the Doris Leadbetter organisations, and among the roster of Melbourne Poetry Cup, awarding $2000 annual awards are 13 prizes with more to the best performed poem; and the than $1000 as first prize, and eight offer- Dromkeen Medal is awarded to a person ing more than $2000, celebrating the best who has made a significant contribution in everything from travel writing to the to children’s literature. first chapter of a novel.

78 Linking with Asia The Asialink Centre, based at the University of Melbourne, initiates and strengthens Australia–Asia engagement across business, government, and the philanthropic and cultural sectors. In the area of literature, Asialink supports writers throughout Australia and has funded residencies for writers in China, Japan, the Philippines, Korea, Indonesia, India, Bhutan, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Vietnam. Asialink also organises the Australia China Council Arts Fellowship and the Australian Literature Touring Program, and it is a partner in the Melbourne-based Asia and Pacific Writers Network.

79 12 Festivals and Events: Celebrating Literature

80 Poet Sean M Whelan performs with the band ‘the mime set’ at the Emerging Writers’ Festival 2007

Melburnians organise and attend a large Ben Okri. Since the city’s chief broad- number of literary events to suit a wide sheet newspaper, The Age, became the variety of tastes. In almost every month of event’s principal sponsor, the festival’s the year you can find a literary festival tak- engagement with readers across the ing place somewhere in the state. There are state has been boosted. In 2007, some some 16 local, regional and specialist liter- 40,000 people took part the 10-day pro- ary festivals every year, but Melbourne’s gram, featuring 250 writers, including 35 premier literary event remains the annual from overseas. With additional funding Melbourne Writers’ Festival. from the Victorian Government in 2007, The Melbourne Writers’ Festival the festival has spread its activities into was established in 1986 to encourage a 10 venues and incorporated an extensive broader interest in literature, and in only schools program; approximately 9000 its second year it attracted international children attended a total of 58 events authors such as Angela Carter, A.S. Byatt, during the 2007 festival. Vikram Seth and Margaret Atwood. In Catering to Melburnians’ voracious following years guests have included appetite for literary events, the city has Nobel Prize winners Seamus Heaney and also become the Australian home for J.M. Coetzee; Pulitzer Prize winners Frank performance poetry. Among the regular McCourt and E. Annie Proulx; and Man poetry readings are five weekly, three Booker Prize winners Graham Swift and fortnightly and 16 monthly events. These

81 Melbourne Writers’ Festival

range from literary salons to open mikes 2006 festival also had a unique focus, and are held in venues as diverse as gal- profiling the work of Indigenous writers leries, churches and seafood restaurants. and involving 15 Indigenous writers from When special one-off events are included, across Australia. The 2007 festival, held a Melburnian’s literary diary bulges with at the Melbourne Town Hall, the State choice. On Thursday 20 September 2007, Library Victoria and Federation Square, for example – just one ordinary day – there involved 385 invited guests in 14 events. was a choice of at least 11 literary events. It incorporated a focus on culturally Bloomsday in Melbourne is a re- and linguistically diverse writers, and 32 markable literary happening. It celebrates immigrant writers performed throughout James Joyce’s Ulysses and is regarded by the three-day program, many in their first the New York Times as one of the four languages (not English). great international Bloomsdays around In addition to the literary festivals the world. there are a number of major arts festi- Melbourne boasts unique festivals vals with a literary component – none that serve the many layers of cultural more important than the Melbourne activity, and the Emerging Writers’ International Arts Festival, which has Festival is a typical example. It connects recently engaged Melbourne audiences new writers to their peers, to industry with the work of writers such as Laurie colleagues and to new audiences. The Anderson, John Cage, Daniel Kitson, Sekou

82 Kids’ Publishing Place at the 2007 Melbourne Writers’ Festival

A visitor to the 2007 Melbourne Writers’ Festival reads the program guide. Photo: Richard McLaren

Sundiata and William Yang. In addition, students from Year 7 to 12 – as well as local literary talent is promoted in the those run by bookshops. In an outer-east- Melbourne Fringe Festival (specialising in ern suburb, Eltham Books runs its New innovative and independent artists), the Voices Festival to celebrate debut works, Next Wave Festival (a biennial showcase while the inner-city bookshop Reader’s of new works by young Australians) and Feast organises Writers at the Convent the Midsumma Festival (an annual gay (previously Writers at Como). In 2007, this and lesbian celebration). festival attracted 6000 people over just Overlapping these major festivals one weekend, and Reader’s Feast recently are those born in the municipalities of announced plans for another festival in Melbourne to promote a stronger engage- 2008: the Reader’s Feast Crime and Justice ment with local writers. These include Festival, celebrating crime fiction. the My Brother Jack Literary Festival, the While Melbourne is a hub for the Northern Notes Writers’ Festival, the state’s literary activities, a number Mornington Peninsula Writers’ Festival, of literary festivals also take place the Monash Literary Festival and the throughout regional Victoria, including Williamstown Literary Festival. There are the Mildura Writers’ Festival, Write also festivals organised by high schools – Around the Murray, the Baw Baw Writers’ the 2007 Scotch College Literary Festival Festival, the Words in Winter Festival involved 31 writers in a program for (Daylesford) and the Regional Victorian

83 Writer, performance artist and photographer William Yang at the 2007 Melbourne International Arts Festival. Photo: Heidrun Löhr and John Sones

Writers’ Festival (Buninyong). These are together Australian and international essential to ensuring that readers across writers to explore issues in youth lit- the state are part of an ongoing conver- erature, and the city hosts the annual sation about books and writing. Victorian Association for the Teaching of Melbourne also hosts a number of English (VATE) conference. In late 2007, literary conferences that seek to improve VATE also organised a combined Jane the skills of people working within writ- Austen and VCE Literature Conference ing and publishing. It hosted the Ninth with La Trobe University, and the Sixth Annual Freelance Journalism Convention Annual Regional Journalism Convention. in 2006 as well as conferences for In 2008, both the Children’s Book Council the Australian Association of Writing of Australia’s National Conference and Programs in 1997 and 2002. In 2007, the the Screenwriter’s Journey Conference Emerging Writers’ Festival staged the first will take place in Melbourne. Independent Press Conference, involving The city has recently been announced 60 editors and publishers from small and as the 2008 venue for the Festival Franco- independent publishing houses across Anglais de Poésie, which has been held the country. in Paris for its 30-year existence. This The Centre for Youth Literature important Anglo–French festival of organises the biennial Reading Matters poetry included 81 writers from 15 dif- conference in Melbourne, bringing ferent countries in 2007. The 2008 event

84 will have a special emphasis on poetry Caryl Phillips (United Kingdom), Kate translations from the pan-Pacific region. Grenville and David Malouf (Australia), This festival complements the work of Mark McWatt (Guyana), Doreen Baingana World Poetry, a Melbourne organisation (Uganda), Lisa Moore (Canada) and that works to forge a more inclusive Benjamin Kwakye (Ghana). literary scene. In 2005, World Poetry Another series to capture the public’s organised In Other Words – a festival of imagination were the Alfred Deakin poetry in translation – to showcase and Innovation Lectures. These were given in generate an engagement with literatures 2001, 2005 and 2007 and now occur bien- outside the English language sphere. In nially with support from the Victorian 2006, it organised the PoeSIA in Moreland Government. When they were first held, festival, which promoted cross-cultural around 20,000 people filled venues across engagement between Italian poets, writ- Melbourne to hear from Nobel and ers, translators and musicians and other Pulitzer Prize winners, former prime min- ethnic groupings within the northern isters and sporting greats. The success of Melbourne suburb. these lectures demonstrates that there is Literary festivals and events provide strong support for a public discourse that a unique way of bringing writers and promotes new forms of creative thinking readers together, but they are not the and writing. It also confirms Melbourne’s only major events in Melbourne to do so. long tradition of intellectual debate and In both 2004 and 2006 the State Library enquiry, with the city welcoming some of of Victoria hosted the Commonwealth the finest minds in the world for a cere- Writers’ Prize and involved a number bral celebration that engages the city in of the world’s best writers in a series of discussion about the role of innovation in events across the city and state, including contemporary society.

Overloaded The Overload Poetry Festival was established to celebrate the range and diversity of Melbourne’s literary life. The festival, founded in 2002, has grown into a 16-day festival that showcases the best poets from Australia and overseas. Since 2004, Overload has hosted poets from Canada, Holland, Ireland and New Zealand, and the 2007 festival involved 96 poets and performers in 49 events and 26 venues across the city.

85 13 Libraries: Storehouses of Words and Ideas

86 Since celebrated colonial architect Joseph Reed designed the first library building in 1853, the State Library of Victoria has been a leading example of Melbourne architecture. Now comprising 22 separate buildings from different eras, the library is a much-loved Melbourne landmark, with its domed La Trobe Reading Room (pictured) – completed in 1913 – having achieved iconic status. In recent years the library has undergone major redevelopment and refurbishment, and it now houses its state-of-the-art information services in a beautifully restored heritage building. Photo: Robert Blackburn

Melbourne’s public libraries are long aimed at encouraging the spread of ideas established and well utilised by authors, and cultural debate. The library’s mission scholars and the wider community, bring- to collect and preserve Victoria’s docu- ing together writing, readers, learning and mentary heritage is carried out through ideas in ways that are essential to a city the acquisition of both historical and of literature. In the heart of Melbourne – contemporary items. Via its use of digital occupying an entire city block – is the technologies it is now able to reach a State Library of Victoria (SLV), one of global audience. the state’s oldest cultural institutions The SLV is arguably the most impres- and Australia’s oldest free public library. sive and utilised library in Australia, As well as being an essential repository providing a second home to writers, read- for the state, it is a vital contemporary ers, students and academics. Its central institution and a treasured element of position in the city attracts a great many Melbourne’s literary identity. Through visitors and it runs a broad program of the library, Victorians are able to access activities that give the public access to a vast collection of materials and take writers, books and literary services. Only part in cultural programs and services last summer the SLV initiated Reading

87 The Midget Library is a set of 12 miniature reference books. Image courtesy State Library of Victoria

Victoria, a summer reading program that and interact with new media materials. promoted 20 books with plots set across The library is a partner in collaborative the city of Melbourne and the state of initiatives such as the AskNow! virtual Victoria. This program is in addition to the reference service, the PANDORA digital Premier’s Reading Challenge, which pro- archive and Picture Australia. motes a love of reading among Victorian The State Library is a place of school students. constant activity, with a wide range of Founded in 1854 and opened to the public programs and activities enriching public two years later, the library began Victorians’ sense of history and culture, with a collection of 3846 books encom- and providing learning opportunities for passing ‘learning and philosophy… members of the community of all ages. literature, science and art’. Today its Dozens of events take place each month, collection comprises 3.5 million items. including special exhibitions and displays In addition to traditional access to the with accompanying talks; high-profile collections, library users can access public lectures; author talks; library information and specialised areas of the tours; family and children’s activities; collection through the library’s website and learning sessions on topics ranging and use its Experimedia space to view from research techniques to internet and

88 Tertiary students studying at the State Library of Victoria. Photo: Robert Blackburn email use. Visitors to the SLV website can manuscripts, are now being made publicly listen to audio lectures or conference accessible through its online catalogue. proceedings, take part in digital forums The library also collects digital materials or join in the Reading Victoria summer such as electronic journals, databases, reading program. Teachers, librarians, websites, CDs and video games. writers and other literary professionals The SLV’s Centre for Youth Literature are all catered for through a number of is a national resource and network that professional development programs, and promotes reading as an active, pleasur- the library’s creative fellowships assist able and essential activity for all young writers, scholars, composers and artists people. The website – www.insideadog. every year, with three-, six- or 12-month com.au – regularly features the work of residencies, providing private workspace, Australian and international writers, and extended access to the collections and encourages participation in literature by generous stipends. young people through feedback, reviews, The SLV is committed to its digital discussion and competitions. In its first delivery and preservation policy: more year of operation, more than 213,000 than 200,000 digitised images, includ- users visited the site, with monthly ing rare and fragile pictures, maps and visits averaging more than 30,000. The

89 State Library of Victoria Rare Books Collection encompasses all fields of knowledge. It is particularly strong in history, literature, travel and topography, botany and ornithology, and books that showcase the art and design of book illustration and production techniques.

centre also presents a regular program of a variety of regular activities. Library professional activities promoting youth members borrow around 50 million items literature, including the biennial Reading each year, including 24 million books for Matters conference. adults, 10 million children’s books, two million talking books, 9.7 million audio- Local public libraries visual items and electronic journals, and The Victorian Government contributes 3.4 million newspapers and magazines, funding to an extensive network of local including newspapers in languages other public libraries throughout the state than English.47 in partnership with local governments. Suburban libraries fulfil a much This network includes 287 local libraries, greater role than the provision of books the Vision Australia Information Library and reading material to the community. Service for blind and low-vision users Public libraries are a regular focal point and six local libraries operated by the for year-round cultural activity, provid- Mechanics’ Institutes of Victoria. ing a valuable community focus for Around 1.2 million members46 enjoy Melbourne’s diverse social and economic the services of local libraries across the mix. They perform a vital role in instilling greater Melbourne area, including book and developing lifelong literacy, learning borrowing, inter-library lending and and creativity and in fostering a love of

46 Department of Victorian Communities, 2006, Annual 47 Department of Victorian Communities, 2006, Annual Survey of Public Libraries in Victoria 2005–06. Survey of Public Libraries in Victoria 2005-06.

90 reading and literature. This commitment funding for six public libraries operated is supported by activities and events by the Mechanics’ Institutes of Victoria. that are relevant to local demographics The state once boasted more than 1000 and typify the range of services offered Mechanics’ Institutes, providing adult by contemporary public libraries in education and social and cultural activi- Melbourne. Examples of such activity are ties in almost every town. The first opened as follows. in Collins Street in central Melbourne in City of Boroondara (middle and inner- 1839 and was renamed the Melbourne eastern suburbs): annual zine fair; school Athenaeum in 1873. It featured a reading holiday activity programs; Ready to Read room, a library of 1000 volumes, and a workshop and kit for parents of preschool ‘museum with a collection of black and children; book talks and meet the author white diamond snakes, a skull, a collection sessions for adults; and internet training of Aboriginal artefacts and various fossils sessions, including online book groups. and sponges’. The Athenaeum Library City of Port Phillip (beachside and continues to provide lending services inner southern suburbs): Children’s Book and activities such as author talks, book Week activities; author talks; regular clubs and book-making classes. Other children’s book club; literature-related Mechanics’ Institute libraries in metro- exhibitions for children; Poetry Idol politan Melbourne include the Victorian live poetry competition; film series and History Library at the Prahran Mechanics’ video production workshops for young Institute, unique for its focus on published adults; and the Wheelbarrow Library local history resources about every local- (ex-library books handed out free at the ity in Victoria and its not-for-profit small beach in summer). press, which assists individuals and com- City of Brimbank (outer western munity groups to publish works about the suburbs): Children’s Book Week activi- history of Victoria. ties; Brimbank Literary Week, including Brimbank Short Story Awards; rap perfor- Other library services mances and author talks; internet skills The Victorian Government also supports workshops, including blogging classes; the Vision Australia Information Library storytelling in languages other than Service. A national postal service based English; bedtime storytime; and seniors’ in Melbourne, it sends books, magazines book club. and periodicals in accessible formats to City of Monash (outer southern sub- people who are blind or have low vision. urbs): storytelling for preschool children, Melbourne is also home to specialist with sessions in languages other than libraries and collections, including the English; literary and recreational activi- National Poetry Library, a number of ties for young adults; The Body in the high-quality university libraries and col- Library series of events themed around lections such as that of the Performing crime writing; and Monash Literature Arts Museum at the Arts Centre. The Festival and Short Story Competition. National Poetry Library, established by In addition to the extensive free local the Australian Poetry Centre, is the only librar y ser vices operated by local councils, specialist library in Australia focusing the Victorian Government assists with on Australian poetry. The University of

91 Vision Australia Information Library Service offers services for blind and low-vision users. Image courtesy Vision Australia

Melbourne library comprises more than The Australian Library and Inform- 20 branch libraries, specialising in areas ation Association (ALIA) is the professional ranging from medicine to the humanities, organisation for the Australian library and its special collections include maps, and information services sector, offer- music and visual arts. Its archive is the ing advocacy and support for library largest university archive in Australia, professionals. Two of Melbourne’s univer- containing the equivalent of 15 kilome- sities offer high-quality, ALIA-approved tres of records. Private community-based courses: Monash University (Bachelor of libraries include the Makor Jewish Information Technology and Systems) and Community Library, which co-ordinates RMIT University (Bachelor of Business – a major repository for memoirs and Information and Knowledge Management). extends its loan services nationally by post, and the Caroline Chisholm Library, a theological lending and reference library.

92 City bookworms The City Library is the busiest The City Library, operated by the City of Melbourne, is the busiest library in Victoria after only library in Victoria after only four years of operation. It is situated four years of operation. in the city centre, close to the Victorian Writers’ Centre, specialist bookshops such as Collected Works poetry bookshop and the Foreign Language Bookshop, and a number of second-hand bookstores. The City Library holds culturally and linguistically diverse collections, an English language-learning collection and substantial materials for children and young adults. It also runs a gallery and public programs. The library shares a building with the Council of Adult Education (CAE), and presents regular activities and events, including book clubs and public lectures, in conjunction with the CAE.

93 14 Bookshops: Selling Prose, Poetry and Pleasure

94 Inside Readings bookstore. Photo: Michael Denovan

Reading is a fundamental leisure activity The early days for most Melburnians and studies have The book trade in Melbourne began in indicated that almost 80% of Victorians the early days of the Victorian colony, read for pleasure each day.48 Because but until the 1850s most books were of this appetite Melbourne is lucky to auctioned by wholesalers supplied with be served by a very healthy bookselling (mainly remaindered) British books. community. Melburnians have more After the gold rush the arrival of trained bookshops per capita and spend more on booksellers changed all this, and in 1852 literature than the average Australian. two young booksellers-to-be arrived in Many shops have developed committed Melbourne on the very same day: George relationships with their readers and are Robertson and E.W. Cole. much more than simply book super- George Robertson started his business markets; they are meeting places and upon setting foot on the wharf, where he cultural hubs, providing the foundation sold a crate of books to finance his taxi for a unique book culture. fare to the city. Within five years he had

48 ACNielsen, 2001, Books Alive.

95 opened a London office and over time From 1897 Elsie Belle Champion was he built an indigenous book culture that manager of the Book Lover’s Library respected the locals’ needs. Robertson’s and Bookshop, and the place of women wholesaling activities assisted the pro- in Australian bookselling grew stronger liferation of bookshops across the city, with each year. Margareta Webber estab- the state and country (as well as in New lished her own bookshop in 1931 using Zealand). He gave selected booksellers solely women booksellers, and much extended credit to get them started, and later, in 2007, Kay Craddock was awarded he gave them advice on which titles to an Order of Australia for service to the stock. In many ways he was the father of antiquarian book trade. Craddock is the Australian bookselling. only Australian (and only woman) to be E.W. Cole began his bookselling president of the International League of career in 1862, selling his wares from a Antiquarian Booksellers, and Australian wheelbarrow. Who knew that he would antiquarian bookselling has now found end up with a shop that ran the length its centre in Melbourne, with 14 antiquar- of a whole city block? Cole’s emporium ian booksellers in the metropolitan area. was of a kind not seen before (or again) in For the first half of the twentieth cen- Australia; the shop’s walls were inscribed tury Australia was the largest overseas with elevating slogans, mechanical men market for British books, and Melbourne turned advertising boards with a clang received more colonial editions than any and caged monkeys entertained book- other city in the country. Bookselling buying customers. was booming in Melbourne and as the In these early years the religious twentieth century unfolded a great many bookshops were very important in bookshops were established, includ- catering to the ethical and philosophi- ing Cheshire’s, Everyman’s, the Hill of cal interests of colonial readers. But as Content, the Literature, Chaucers and Mrs Melbourne became a metropolis, new Ellis Bird’s. Joining these were specialists political ideas entered into the culture. such as the Leonardo Bookshop, special- With these ideas came radical bookshops ising in European contemporary art and such as Andrade’s, which distributed literature, and Margareta Webber’s book- Marxist materials within Australia; and shop. Webber devoted one-third of her in 1933 the International Bookshop was shop to the sale of children’s books, and established to help espouse the commu- this niche was later serviced by both the nist cause. Over time the International Little Bookroom and Books Illustrated. Bookshop broadened its outlook and was one of the first bookshops in Australia to Booksellers now sell gay and feminist literature. Today, a number of independent booksell- While Melbourne’s nineteenth century ers across both the city and suburbs form book trade was conservative, feminism the core of Melbourne’s book culture. and bookselling mixed in practical ways. These range from bookshops such as

96 Books for Cooks is just one of Melbourne’s many specialist bookstores. Photo: Mark Chew the Paperback Bookshop in the heart of Hylands (military history), Metropolis Melbourne to those located in the inner (design and photography), Rendezvous suburbs (Avenue Bookstore in Albert (romance), Kill City (crime fiction), Polyester Park) and outlying suburbs (Robinson’s (counter-culture) and Minotaur (graphic Books in Frankston and Volumes in novels, science fiction and comics). Each of Eltham). But perhaps the most significant these shops brings readers to Melbourne independent bookshop in Melbourne – and sells books to both the general public and the largest in Australia – is Readings and its niche community. (see feature box). Two other bookshops that act as bea- Now a great number of specialist book- cons to readers from around the country shops complement Melbourne’s general are Collected Works and Hares & Hyenas. booksellers, including the Foreign Language Collected Works is unlike any other shop Bookshop, China Books, Andrew Isles in the country. It is a literary bookshop Natural History Books, Books for Cooks, specialising in poetry and ideas, and is the the TS Bookshop (esoteric), Golds (Judaica), most substantial retail outlet for poetry in

97 Australasia, giving local literature a sense markets, such as the weekly book market of where it sits within a global sphere. held at Federation Square, Melbourne’s Hares & Hyenas is a queer bookshop main outdoor meeting place. that has made significant efforts towards In addition to second-hand and special- diversity. It has produced countless ist bookshops, Melbourne is an important spoken word events at a wide range of centre for the major book chains, from festivals and publishes Screaming Hyena, multinationals such as Borders to local an online queer book review. chains such as Collins. The city is home Independent booksellers in Melbourne to the head offices for Australia’s largest enjoy a substantial market share – some chains, including Angus & Robertson, 20% – unlike much of the Western world, Borders and Book City, and is also home where large chain bookshops and discount to both the Australian Booksellers department stores have taken over almost Association (ABA) and the Australian completely. Independent bookshops are Campus Booksellers Association. part of a culture that nurtures readers, Australia’s large chains bring a total and a similar barometer of the city’s of 68 shops to Melbourne, but this is still literary health is the number of second- just a fraction of the 275 Victorian mem- hand booksellers that keep out-of-print bers of the ABA. Independent booksellers titles in circulation. Some of the better are a force in Victoria and one-third of all known second-hand booksellers include members of the ABA are Victorian busi- the City’s Basement Bookshop, Flinders nesses – and this number is still growing, Books, Grubb St Books, Sainsbury’s and despite the threats of online shops and Alice’s Books. The book-buying com- non-traditional retail outlets. munity is also serviced by a variety of

98 Readings Founded in 1969, Readings Readings was established in inner-suburban Carlton in 1969, when retails fine books, music alternative bookshops were flowering across the city. It began by and film. Today it is a major servicing the artistic and academic communities and has remained Australian business. a vibrant force by adapting to market conditions. Readings is unique Photo: Michael Denovan among independent booksellers throughout the world; when Borders moved in directly across the road from one of its shops, Readings not only survived but prospered. Over three decades Readings has grown and it now services the community with five shops scattered around Melbourne. It plays host to a vigorous program of launches, readings (of course) and literary events, with more than 290 events in 2006 attracting an audience of some 35,000 people. Readings won the 2006 award for Australian Chain Bookseller of the Year.

99 15 Media: Spreading the Word

100 Melbourne’s daily broadheet The Age is a generous promoter of literature through its reporting of literary news and publication of book reviews and articles by leading authors. The Age also sponsors literary events, awards and education initiatives.

Melbourne’s print media are well estab- to the promotion of literature has come lished and of high quality, enjoying as much through its reporting of literary extensive and diverse readerships. The news and publication of book reviews and main players are the city’s two major articles by leading authors as through its daily newspapers – the Age broadsheet extensive sponsorship of events, awards and the Herald Sun tabloid – with a com- and education initiatives. More than 50 bined readership estimated at more than different arts and culture organisations two million, and the national daily The are sponsored by The Age, including the Australian, which includes the monthly Melbourne International Arts Festival, supplement The Australian Literary Review, the Melbourne International Film Festival published in co-operation with The and the Melbourne Fringe Festival. The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Age’s support for literature includes spon- University Publishing. sorship of year-round author talks and The Age has been an integral part of discussions in conjunction with Dymocks Melbourne life since it was founded in 1854. bookshops, and major sponsorship of the Its immense and generous contribution Melbourne Writers’ Festival. In 2006, this

101 festival generated more than $6 million leading literary review. ABR is entirely in free editorial coverage for books and devoted to book reviews, essays, liter- authors across all media, making it a ary commentary and creative writing. catalyst for an intense burst of literary Established in 1961, it is the oldest liter- media coverage each year. The Age also ary review in a relatively young country. sponsors the Centre for Youth Literature The Melbourne-based national and the Victorian Premier’s Reading magazine The Monthly, established in Challenge, and the Age Book of the Year 2005, also plays an important role in awards recognise the best Australian lit- promoting Australian writers and writing. erature, with four annual awards totalling Encompassing a range of areas, includ- $40,000. Previously unpublished writing ing politics, social issues, the arts and is also supported by The Age through its literature, it is highly regarded for its com- annual short story competition. mitment to regularly publishing in-depth, In addition to the major dailies, a range high-quality non-fiction in essay form. of local weeklies, university student news- Online media serving Melbourne’s papers and ‘street press’ publications keep writers and readers are numerous and the city’s 3.6 million residents informed, diverse, with most major local print and extending Melbourne’s long tradition of broadcast media maintaining an exten- quality journalism and supporting devel- sive internet presence, and many smaller oping writers through employment and media outlets employing the worldwide publication opportunities. More than 100 web to promote literature and literary multilingual newspapers and radio pro- events. Online journals, magazines and grams are also produced for consumers blogs further enrich Melbourne’s literary of diverse cultural backgrounds. These culture and reach out to the world, pub- range from established publications such lishing and promoting the work of diverse as the Italian-language newspaper Il Globo writers, spoken-word performers and and the Melbourne-based national The poets. Examples of these are event listings Australian Jewish News to newer publica- such as Pam’s Poetry Pitch (www.pams- tions such as The Ambassador – Australia’s poetrypitch.com), literary journal Cordite first Horn of Africa newspaper, providing (www.cordite.org.au) and Asialink’s Asia coverage in Arabic, Amharic, English, and Pacific Writers Network and online Somali, Sudanese, Oromo and Tigrinya. discussion list. Many of Melbourne’s major print A key online contributor to media outlets devote space to literature Melbourne’s literary and artistic commu- through regular book reviews, coverage nity is ArtsHub (www.artshub.com.au), of literary prizes and promotion of the a leading publisher of creative industry Melbourne Writers’ Festival and other news, information and commentary, as local and national events. Especially well as employment, creative residen- important is the Melbourne-based cies and funding listings. Founded in monthly magazine Australian Book Review Melbourne in 2000, ArtsHub now operates (ABR), known nationally as Australia’s Australian, United Kingdom and United

102 States websites, serving more than 13,000 Many of the ABC’s radio programs are subscribers and 200 organisations in the available via the internet as streaming or creative professions internationally. as downloadable content. Melbourne’s broadcast media include Melbourne is also fortunate in having a a range of commercial radio and tele- strong and varied public radio sector, with vision stations; the government-owned several community-operated stations Australian Broadcasting Corporation holding full-time broadcasting licenses. (ABC) and Special Broadcasting Service Public radio arts programs featuring sig- (SBS); and numerous public and com- nificant literary coverage include 3RRR’s munity broadcasters. SBS, with its studios weekly ‘Smart Arts’ and 3CR’s ‘DIY Arts’ at Melbourne’s Federation Square, is programs. Literature-focused programs Australia’s national multicultural and mul- include 3RRR’s ‘Aural Text’ (two hours tilingual broadcaster. It delivers programs weekly, particularly committed to spoken in more languages than any other network word content); 3CR’s ‘Published… Or Not’ in the world, with 68 languages currently (on authors, publishing and local liter- spoken on SBS Radio and more than 60 ary events); Southern FM’s ‘Write Now’ languages broadcast on SBS Television. (literature news and guests) and 3WBC’s The ABC’s radio, television and online ‘The Writer Performs’ (including poetry services also operate nationally as well performance). Programs such as these as locally, with ABC Radio National airing play an important role in supporting a variety of arts and literature programs, literature and literary culture at the local including book and poetry readings, radio level. They provide promotion and perfor- plays and drama; and the ABC Local mance opportunities for emerging and Radio station, 774, frequently featuring developing writers and bring mainstream authors of recently published works. literature to niche audiences.

Writing on the airwaves Radio National’s ‘The Book Show’, produced in Melbourne, is thought to be the world’s only daily radio program devoted to books and writing. It plays an important role in promoting the work of both Australian and international authors. Its presenter, Ramona Koval, is internationally known for her extended interviews with significant writers. She has taken part in the Edinburgh International Book Festival for the past seven years.

103 16 Education: Literature and Literacy

104 Sunshine Primary School student Lachlan, whose school won a $10,000 National Literacy and Numeracy Week National Excellence Award, enjoys a spot of reading with Professor Knowledge at the 2006 state awards presentation. Photo: Sharon Walker

Education is the force that leads a culture In addition to universities, a network onwards, from its past to its present, from of Technical and Further Education its present to its future. (TAFE) institutions deliver industry- Victorian children are encouraged based pre-tertiary and diploma courses throughout their school years to celebrate in creative writing, editing and publish- reading and to write creatively, and ing, and many informal short courses Melbourne’s eight accredited universities provide pathways and alternatives to contribute to a high level of education higher education for Melburnians of all among the general population (more than ages and education levels. half of the city’s working-age population is university educated). Specialised uni- Primary and secondary education versity courses in creative writing, literary Literature is a vital component of school studies, translation and publishing attract education in Victoria. The study of English an estimated 1500 students annually, throughout the school years focuses on further contributing to a city in which literacy skills as well as literary texts, writing and literature flourish. including novels, short stories, poems,

105 The Victorian Premier’s Rising to the Challenge Reading Challenge involves The annual Victorian Premier’s Reading Challenge involves 1350 1350 schools across Victoria. schools across Victoria. It challenges students to read more and to In 2007, almost 3.4 million read more widely. In 2007, almost 3.4 million books were read more books were read more than 200,000 primary and secondary school students, with more than 200,000 primary and than 116,000 students meeting the challenge of reading between 15 secondary school students. to 30 books over a sustained period between January and August.49 Image courtesy Department Nineteen Victorian children’s authors acted as ‘ambassadors’, visiting of Education and Early schools and promoting reading and participation in the challenge. Childhood Development There were approximately 4800 titles on the booklist for 2007, by both Australian and international authors. Students were also able to choose additional titles in languages other than English.

49 Figures from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.

106 plays and other media such as film. From comics, playwriting, poetry, fiction, self- early childhood onwards, school students publishing, spoken word performance engage with literature through reading, and literary career development. reflection, analysis and creative writing. At an individual school level, literary Australian literature forms a distinct festivals such as the Scotch College annual and important branch of English and Story Matters demonstrate Melbourne’s world literature, and the teaching of broad interest and engagement in liter- Australian literature in schools is seen ary culture. Author visits – rare in other as promoting and developing a national Australian states – are a popular and reg- identity. In addition, the teaching of ular activity in schools across Melbourne, international literature exposes students with hundreds of writers from around to a range of perspectives and ways of the country presenting talks in schools thinking – essential in Australia’s mul- each year. ticultural, diverse and globalised, yet The Victorian Certificate of Education distinct, society. (VCE) is awarded to students who suc- A principal aim of teaching literature is cessfully complete the final two years to encourage in children a love of books and of secondary school, and also serves as reading. Annual events such as Children’s a university entrance qualification. Both Book Week, the national MS Readathon (a VCE English and VCE Literature text lists privately sponsored fundraising program are selected according to criteria that for multiple sclerosis) and the Tournament includes the literary merit and suitability of Minds (Language and Literature section) of books for study by both native-English add to the range of school-based activities speakers and second-language students. and celebrations that promote literature Texts chosen for study by individual to Australian readers and writers of the schools must include a balance of both future. The annual Melbourne Writers’ new and established literary works and Festival’s Under 18s Zone features three must reflect the cultural diversity of the days of author talks for school groups by Victorian community.50 One-third of texts local, national and international writers, chosen must be Australian and two-thirds as well as book-making sessions, master must be international. classes, and the Write Across Victoria Arts Victoria’s Artists in Schools creative-writing competition. program creates the opportunity for prac- Young writers also receive encour- tising professional writers and illustrators agement and inspiration at school via to work with young people in Victorian pri- a range of opportunities, competitions mary and secondary schools. The presence and activities, including those offered of writers and illustrators encourages a by youth literary organisation Express ‘culture of literary confidence’ with diverse Media. Express Media works with and challenging learning experiences for schools to develop literary workshops students and teachers alike. Children also that complement the school cur- see that the creation of literature is an riculum, in areas such as zine-making, accessible and viable occupation.

50 Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, VCAA Bulletin Supplement 1, VCE English/ESL Text List 2008–2009 and VCE Literature Text List 2008–2009.

107 Tertiary and adult education collaborating with others in Africa, North Melbourne’s eight universities – Australian and South America, Asia, the West Indies Catholic University, University of Melbourne, and the Pacific region. and Deakin, La Trobe, Monash, Royal Melbourne’s universities teach a wide Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), variety of languages, with literature and Swinburne and Victoria Universities – culture providing an important focus play a vital role in the Victorian economy, of study. The University of Melbourne, generating revenues of $4 billion.51 These La Trobe University and Monash institutions contribute immensely to University, in particular, boast large the city’s cultural life, with Melbourne schools of languages, culture and lin- ranking as one of the top five university guistics, offering studies in Indonesian, cities in the world.52 Universities are Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hebrew, crucial to Melbourne’s literary life: doz- Arabic, French, German, Swedish, ens of degree courses at undergraduate, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, postgraduate and doctoral levels provide Galician, Greek, Slavic, Ukrainian and places for many hundreds of aspiring Russian. Translation studies are a writers, students of literature and lan- feature of courses at Monash and La guages, and translation and publishing Trobe Universities, while the University professionals. Specialist academic hubs, of Melbourne’s Asia Institute provides a such as Monash University’s Centre for focus for the study of Arabic, Chinese, the Book and its Centre for Comparative Indonesian and Japanese language and Literature and Cultural Studies, further literature, and specialises in language enrich an academic environment that preservation in the Asia–Pacific region. places firm emphasis on the importance In the area of publishing studies, of literature. Melbourne is also a national leader, with Four universities – the University of the University of Melbourne, Monash Melbourne and La Trobe, Monash and University and RMIT University all con- Deakin Universities – offer extensive tributing to the city’s publishing industry programs in the study of literature in through comprehensive, vocationally English, in areas ranging from medieval oriented graduate programs. University literature to contemporary Australian studies in publishing range from editing writing, poetry, Indigenous studies, and production skills to strategic and screen and theatre studies, and children’s commercial aspects of the industry, as literature. While postcolonial literature well as historical, theoretical and ethical is an important area of study at all of areas. Professional writing and editing these universities, Monash University’s courses provided through TAFE institu- Centre for Postcolonial Writing provides tions are also in high demand, with their a special focus for the exchange of many graduates further strengthening creative and intellectual inquiry in this Melbourne’s publishing workforce. area. The centre extends its activities As other chapters of this submission locally, domestically and internationally, demonstrate, Melbourne’s strong literary

51 Melbourne Vice-Chancellor’s Forum, May 2007, 52 RMIT, 2007, Global City Index. Melbourne: Australia’s Knowledge Capital: The contributions of Melbourne’s universities to the City’s economic, cultural and community development. 108 Melbourne ranks as one of the top five university cities in the world. Photo: Robert Blackburn and publishing history is complemented students are able to specialise in prose by a vibrant contemporary scene that fiction, poetry, performance writing for includes a year-round calendar of theatre, film and television, creative literary events and a wealth of diverse non-fiction, life writing, and avant-garde grass-roots and independent publishing. and cross-genre forms, to name a few. The city’s energetic environment for Many courses also include components emerging and developing writers is in in publishing and editing. Single-subject many ways fuelled by its large number (not-for-degree) study in some courses of high-quality creative-writing courses broadens the accessibility of academic at post-secondary level. The University study to the general public. of Melbourne and RMIT, Deakin, Victoria, University-based creative-writing Monash and La Trobe Universities all programs are complemented by diploma offer quality creative-writing programs at and certificate courses delivered through levels ranging from Graduate Certificate the TAFE network. These courses, offered to PhD, combining creative work with at several institutions throughout theoretical studies. Creative-writing the greater Melbourne area, focus on

109 vocational training, generally offering talented and creative new writers. study in both creative writing and profes- Adults of all ages and abilities in sional writing and editing. Many hundreds Melbourne have access to education of students attend these courses, which, in creative writing, with short courses like university courses, are in high offered by many organisations throughout demand. The RMIT TAFE is known as a the city, including the Victorian Writers’ leader in this area, having been one of the Centre and Express Media. One of the first institutions in Australia to introduce largest and best known is the centrally formal courses in creative writing. Its located Council of Adult Education (CAE). professional screenwriting program, in In addition to 290 students currently particular, enjoys a national reputation. enrolled in its TAFE-accredited Diploma The city boasts one of Australia’s of Professional Writing and Editing,53 most respected courses for authors the CAE is a hive of activity for short- serious about breaking into the film course participants, with 1000 students industry. RMIT’s two-to-three year enrolling in its informal creative-writing course in Professional Screenwriting courses each year.54 Of these, around 70% (Film, Television and Digital Media) was are over the age of 30, with one-third of established seven years ago and is the these being over 50 years of age. CAE only one of its kind in Australia, provid- students also enjoy access to the nearby ing specialist training in writing for film, City Library (described in Chapter 13) and television and digital media across all many also participate in the organisa- genres. It is also where filmmakers and tion’s numerous book groups. production companies look for trained,

53 Figure provided by CAE, September 2007. 54 Figures for 2006 and 2007 provided by CAE, September 2007.

110 Cultural understanding through second-language learning Image courtesy Department Second-language school teachers in Victoria enjoy strong state of Education and Early government support in the teaching of languages and literatures Childhood Development other than English through professional development, provision of curriculum materials, and ongoing networking opportunities. More than 20 different language-teachers’ associations are networked through the LOTElinx project, including Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Indonesian, Russian and Vietnamese. Another state government initiative is the Victorian School of Languages (VSL), which offers studies in 44 languages to school students wishing to study languages not available in their own schools. The VSL currently has around 14,600 students across the state, with around 1600 of these studying through distance education. Twenty-six of its 38 face-to-face learning centres are in the Melbourne metropolitan area, with a range of students attending from both state and private schools. Community language schools provide further opportunities for Melbourne’s children to learn languages other than English, with more than 34,000 students taking part in after-school or Saturday classes in 55 different languages. These schools are operated by community organisations or individuals, for between two and five hours each week. The Victorian government recently announced an increase in its support for these schools, committing $300,000 in training for community-languages school teachers.55

55 Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, May 2007, Supporting More Teachers and Higher Standards, http://www.education.vic. gov.au/about/publications/budget/07teachers. htm#H3N4000EF 111 17 Looking to the Future

112 Entrepreneurial practices and an inde- Media. The CBWI will capitalise on the pendent spirit have combined to make synergies between these organisations, Melbourne a key site for the development enabling them to grow and develop, and of cultural capital, and the city now seeks will provide a focal point for their public to maximise the ways in which literature programs. It will help build audiences connects the people of the city with across different literary styles and age people of the world. groups and will increase the effectiveness Numerous opportunities and of literary organisations that support the challenges flow from the expansion sector. By providing a ‘home’ to literature of the world’s knowledge economies. the CBWI will give writing the status Melbourne’s unique literary culture it deserves and equip writers with the places it perfectly to capitalise on these resources they need. opportunities and to share its cultural The CBWI will operate at many levels. wealth. With major innovations in the Through the facilitation of a diverse city’s literary infrastructure and a his- program it will become a national and tory of building collaborative networks, international hub for literature. It will Melbourne will move from being a provide public spaces for existing pro- ‘hive’ to a ‘hub’ for writers, writing and grams such as conferences, launches, literature, as well as a key centre for edu- workshops and seminars, as well as cation, business and inter-governmental opportunities to host a myriad of new engagement. By designating Melbourne events. This new hub may also play a co- a City of Literature, UNESCO would help ordinating role for literary activity across create new prospects for collaboration, the state, centrally managing information co-ordination and integration with writ- about statewide events and festivals. Its ers and readers of the world who live and public spaces will accommodate events work at great physical and sometimes of all shapes and sizes, and its organising cultural distances from each other. principles will encourage better interna- Every great city has its grand cultural tional exchange and engagement within institutions – its universities, art galleries, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. museums and concert halls. But no great To further promote Melbourne as a city, in Australia or elsewhere, has yet had home for the creation, support and promo-­ a showcase institution for the discussion, tion of new ideas, the City of Melbourne – debate and practice of writing and ideas. together with the Melbourne Vice In 2008, the Victorian Government will Chancellors’ Forum and the Committee begin work on establishing the Centre for Melbourne – will merge their endea- for Books, Writing and Ideas (CBWI) in vours in education to create an ‘Office Melbourne. The CBWI will be central to of Knowledge Capital’. This office will the development of literature throughout promote Melbourne locally, nationally the city of Melbourne, throughout the and globally to achieve recognition as state of Victoria and throughout the a Global University City and Australia’s nation of Australia. knowledge headquarters. It will facilitate The CBWI will provide a focus for future collaboration with governments, busi- UNESCO City of Literature programs and nesses and other communities and will will bring together a range of literary form links with similar ‘knowledge cities’ organisations, such as the Melbourne to enable mutually beneficial interac- Writers’ Festival, the Victorian Writers’ tions across international borders. Centre, the Australian Poetry Centre, the The Office of Knowledge Capital rec- Emerging Writers’ Festival and Express ognises that Melbourne, as a city values,

113 pursues and recognises achievement, to Edinburgh and from Edinburgh to so it will seek to stimulate and enable Melbourne. The two festivals overlap learning throughout the community and for three days, and these events would will provide for the creation, transfer and be screened at Melbourne’s Federation utilisation of knowledge to address and Square as free public events. In addi- meet the city’s needs. tion, in 2008, the Melbourne Writers’ Melbourne-based organisations have Festival will establish the Melbourne always sought to create collaborative International Market for Publishing. This networks across a range of fields. In the market will bring international publish- recent past significant efforts have been ers and agents to meet with colleagues made by local creators, intellectuals and in Melbourne’s independent publishing businesses to connect with partners sector. This market will promote a better overseas. In 2005 an invited delegation dialogue between publishers from differ- of over 20 key United States presenters ent countries and will focus on publishers visited Melbourne during the Melbourne who are working with new writers and International Arts Festival for the new technologies. Melbourne Convening Leading Presenters Supporting Melbourne’s diverse range Initiative. In 2006 the festival hosted the of cultural and literary organisations are Major Festivals Initiative Development the various levels of government. Both Site, which was aimed at strengthening the Victorian Government and the City of the possibilities for international touring Melbourne are strongly active in cultural and collaborations. development and exchange. In par- Each year the Melbourne Writers’ ticular, Arts Victoria is a major investor Festival brings writers from around the in cultural exports and is the only state/ world to engage with Australian readers territory arts agency in Australia with an in the public program and to work with ongoing International Arts Program. The writers within a professional develop- program includes funding for market ment stream. In addition, the festival development and cultural exchange works with the governments of various activity, as part of a longer term industry countries to showcase their writers, and development approach, supported by regular contributors include the French, research, partnerships and targeted ini- German, US, New Zealand, Canadian and tiatives. In 2006–07 more than $900,000 British governments. was allocated through the International In 2007, the festival director, Program to support some 60 artists and Rosemary Cameron, was invited to the arts organisations to access opportuni- Salon International du Livre Océanien ties in at least 20 markets worldwide. (SILO) in New Caledonia. This festival In addition, during the last decade, Arts showcased Pacific Ocean writers with a Victoria has played a crucial role in view to incorporating these into future forging inter-governmental links. Key Australian writers’ festivals. In addition, elements include cultural memoranda the Melbourne Writers’ Festival has of understanding with countries such as agreed to provide ongoing training in fes- Singapore and China; sister-state rela- tival management to the SILO organisers. tions with countries such as China, Japan For 2008, the Melbourne Writers’ and Scotland; and sister-city relations Festival has started discussions with with cities such as Osaka, Milan, Boston Catherine Lockerbie, director of the and St Petersburg. Edinburgh International Festival of Books, In addition to the work undertaken to video-stream events from Melbourne by Arts Victoria, in 2008 the Victorian

114 Government’s overseas business offices to align itself with international agencies will undergo the most significant trans- that can help Melbourne achieve such formation since their inception. The goals. To this end, the City of Melbourne current global network of 19 business is currently seeking UNICEF (United and tourism offices will be co-ordinated Nations Children’s Fund) accreditation through a centralised International as a Child Friendly City. A Child Friendly Co-ordination Office and will be expanded City is a city committed to fulfilling to include a stronger presence in Asia. children’s rights, where the voices, needs, This co-ordinated approach will more priorities and rights of children are an tightly link government activities in over- integral part of public policies, programs seas markets across industry, education, and decisions. tourism, primary industry, migration and other key growth areas. Conclusion The Department of Education and As Australia’s cultural capital, Melbourne Early Childhood Development (DEECD) is a city that encourages a breadth of has established a number of initiatives literary activity. It supports a diverse offshore, generally under the auspices range of writers, a prosperous publishing of government-to-government memo- industry, a successful culture of indepen- randa of understanding, and a number dent bookselling, a wide variety of literary of these initiatives are located in the organisations and a healthy culture of Middle East, a key region for Victorian reading. The city promotes and supports education exports. Additionally, the state an engagement with all aspects of litera- government has a strong commitment ture so as to foster creativity as a pursuit to supporting the people of Timor- in itself. Securing City of Literature status Leste. Education has been identified as would assist Melbourne to further extend a priority for rebuilding that country, these initiatives. It would allow writ- and the DEECD has been involved in ers, readers and the literary industry to the Australia East Timor Friendship better interface with their counterparts School Project since its inception. This overseas, it would provide an economic involvement has included the provision stimulus to the creative industries and of funding for the planning and develop- would ensure the development of a ment at the Dili Institute of Technology shared understanding across cultures. as well as the provision of scholarships Melbourne engages internationally for 250 East Timorese students valued at many levels – through business, at $15,000 per year through the Xanana education, government, the arts and Vocational Education Trust. Key teachers literature – placing importance on from Victorian government schools have building collaborative networks across also been involved in the development sectors and countries. If designated of curriculum materials for educating a City of Literature, Melbourne looks Australian students about Timor-Leste. forward to taking on an active role as The Victorian units were launched in a member of UNESCO’s Creative Cities July 2007. Network, further developing Melbourne’s Like the Victorian Government, the outstanding literary resources and City of Melbourne is constantly striving reputation, and sharing its creativity to improve the cultural landscape; to and ingenuity wherever possible, both connect itself with people, cities and locally and internationally. countries from beyond our borders; and

115 Appendix 1: List of Publishers

Melbourne-owned publishers with Melbourne head offices

Black Dog Books www.bdb.com.au Black Inc. www.blackincbooks.com Bolinda Publishing www.bolinda.com CSIRO Publishing www.publish.csiro.au Eleanor Curtain Publishing www.ecpublishing.com.au Funtastic www.funtastic.com.au Hardie Grant Books www.hardiegrant.com.au/html/index- books.html Hardie Grant Egmont (75% Australian owned) www.hardiegrantegmont.com.au Hinkler Books www.hinklerbooks.com.au

116 Melbourne University Press Australian and overseas-owned www.mup.unimelb.edu.au publishers with head offices outside Michelle Anderson Books Melbourne, but with a strong www.hillofcontent.bizland.com Melbourne presence RMIT Publishing www.rmitpublishing.com.au Allen & Unwin (Australian owned, Robert Andersen & Associates Sydney HO but all children’s publishing www.abooks.com.au done from Melbourne office) Scribe Publications www.allenandunwin.com www.scribepublications.com.au Hachette Livre (French owned, Sydney Sleepers Publishing HO, but all children’s books published www.sleeperspublishing.com in Melbourne (Lothian) office Spinifex Publishing www.hha.com.au www.spinifexpress.com.au John Wiley (USA owned, Brisbane HO, Text Publishing but all non fiction published from (Australian and foreign-owned) Melbourne in (Wrightbooks) office) www.textpublishing.com.au www.johnwiley.com.au Learning Federation/Curriculum Overseas-owned publishers with their Corporation (Federal Government Australian head office in Melbourne owned, all publishing done from Melbourne office) Cambridge University Press www.curriculum.edu.au www.cambridge.org/aus McGraw Hill (USA owned, Sydney HO, Cengage (previously Thomson Learning) but majority primary school material www.cengage.com.au published in Melbourne (Mimosa) Crown Content office) www.crowncontent.com.au www.mcgraw-hill.com.au Lonely Planet Pan Macmillan (German owned, www.lonelyplanet.com Sydney HO, but strong editorial/ Macmillan Publishers Australia sales presence in Melbourne) www.macmillan.com.au www.panmacmillan.com.au Oxford University Press http://au.oup.com Penguin/Pearson www.penguin.com.au www.pearsoned.com.au Thames & Hudson www.thaust.com.au The Five Mile Press www.fivemile.com.au

117 Appendix 2: Melbourne- based Literary Organisations

National Organisations with Victorian Organisations with Head Office in Melbourne Head Office in Melbourne

Asialink Arts Access www.asialink.unimelb.edu.au www.artsaccess.com.au Australian Booksellers Association Arts Management Advisory Group www.aba.org.au www.amag.org.au Australian Poetry Centre Arts Victoria www.australianpoetrycentre.org.au www.arts.vic.gov.au Australian Songwriters Association Drama Victoria www.asai.org.au www.dramavictoria.vic.edu.au Centre for Youth Literature Film Victoria www.slv.vic.gov.au/about/centrefory- www.film.vic.gov.au outhliterature/youthlit.html Koorie Heritage Trust – Oral History Unit www.insideadog.com.au www.koorieheritagetrust.com/ Children’s Book Council of Australia oral_history www.cbc.org.au Legal Deposit Office (Vic.) Crime Writers Association of Australia www.slv.vic.gov.au/about/site/informa- www.nedkellyawards.com tion_for/publishers/more_ld.html Express Media Melbourne Poets Union www.expressmedia.org.au home.vicnet.net.au/~mpuinc/ Illustrators Australia MPU/Home.html www.illustratorsaustralia.com Melbourne Writers’ Theatre ISBN Agency www.melbwriters.org.au www.thorpe.com.au Multicultural Arts Victoria Small Press Underground Network www.multiculturalarts.com.au Community Regional Arts Victoria www.spunc.com.au. www.rav.net.au World Poetry Victorian Writers’ Centre www.worldpoetry.wordpress.com www.writers-centre.org

118 International Organisations with International Organisations with Head Office in Melbourne Branch in Melbourne

Asia and Pacific Writers Network International Pen Melbourne Centre www.apwn.net www.melbournepen.org.au Australian and New Zealand Society Sisters in Crime of Indexers www.vicnet.net.au/~sincoz www.aussi.org Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI Australia) National Organisations with Branch www.scbwiaustralia.org in Melbourne Melbourne-based Organisations Australian Film Commission www.afc.gov.au Books Illustrated Australian Film, Television and www.booksillustrated.com.au Radio School Dromkeen www.aftrs.edu.au www.scholastic.com.au/ Australian Journalists’ Association common/dromkeen/ www.alliance.org.au Australian Library and Information National Organisations Association Servicing Melbourne www.alia.org.au Australian Literacy Educators’ Arts Law Centre of Australia Association www.artslaw.com.au www.alea.edu.au/vic Australia Council for the Arts Fellowship of Australian Writers www.australiacouncil.gov.au (Vic.) Inc. Australian Association of Writing www.writers.asn.au Programs (AAWP) Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance www.griffith.edu.au/school/ (Vic.) art/text/assoc.htm www.alliance.org.au Australian Copyright Centre Printing Industries Association www.copyright.org.au of Australia Australian Literary Agents’ Association www.printnet.com.au www.austlitagentsassoc.com.au Society of Editors (Vic.) Inc. Australian Publishers’ Association www.socedvic.org www.publishers.asn.au Society of Women Writers Victoria Inc. Australian Script Centre www.vicnet.net.au/~swwvic www.ozscript.org Australian Society of Authors www.asauthors.org Australian Writers’ Guild www.awg.com.au Copyright Agency Limited www.copyright.com.au

119