FREE NOV EMB ER 2009 Readings Monthly your independent book, music and dVd newsletter • eVents • new releases • reViews (HARPERCOLLINS) THE MIND AND TIMES OF REG MOMBASSA IMAGE FROM MURRAY WALDREN'S BOOK WALDREN'S IMAGE FROM MURRAY The Mind and Times of Reg Mombassa: Event p3 November book, CD & DVD new releases. More new releases inside. AUST FICTION AUST FICTION FICTION MEMOIR MEMOIR DVD POP CD CLASSICAL $49.95 $39.95 $39.99 $32.95 $34.99 $29.95 $32.99 $55 $44.95 $39.95 $29.95 $24.95 $29.95 >> p5 >> p4 >> p6 >> p8 >> p9 >> p15 >> p17 >> p19 November Event Highlights at Readings. See more events inside. ANNE MANNE DRAWING A LINE MUNGO STEPHANIE AT READINGS AT STATE LIBRARY MACCALLUM DOWRICK HAWTHORN OF VICTORIA AT CINEMA NOVA AT READINGS HAWTHORN All shops except SLV open 7 days. SLV closed Sundays. Carlton 309 Lygon St 9347 6633 Hawthorn 701 Glenferrie Rd 9819 1917 Malvern 185 Glenferrie Rd 9509 1952. Port Melbourne 253 Bay St 9681 9255 St Kilda 112 Acland St 9525 3852 State Library of Victoria 328 Swanston Street 8664 7540 email [email protected] Find information about our shops, check event details and browse or shop online at www.readings.com.au The first man to speak our language A beautiful new volume of Afferbeck Lauder’s collected works STRINE TEXTPUBLISHING.COM.AU 2 Readings Monthly November 2009 From the Editor SOMETHING WILD ThisPENGUINS NaUGHTY Month’sAndersen, PB, $19.95); News and Hunger Games as Muller's best novel, The Land of Green (Suzanne Collins, Scholastic, PB, $18.99). Plums (Granta, PB) is a beautifully written The long-awaited film version BUT NICE and unflinching portrayal of life under the of Maurice Sendak’s children’s Banned Book Week is an OSLO'S ANNOYING LIFE totalitarian regime of Ceausescu's Romania. classic Where The Wild Things annual event that takes place Hurrah! Angst returns to the The Passport(Serpents Tail, PB), Muller’s first Are (Red Fox, PB, $19.95; in the last week of September gallery walls! Oslo Davis’ first work to be released in English, is a beautiful, Random, HB, $34.95) is across the US. It commemo- major solo exhibition, titled haunting novel whose subject is a German finally here – and the author rates the benefits of intellec- ‘This Annoying Life’, opens village in Romania caught between the sti- has been doing the rounds of tual freedom and draws this month at Lamington fling hopelessness of Ceausecu's dictatorship US television, newspapers and attention to the harms of Drive gallery. Oslo will and the glittering temptations of the West. magazines, along with filmmakers Spike Jonze censorship by highlighting exhibit a collection of his new Muller's most recent book to be translated, and Dave Eggers. ‘In plain terms, a child is a books that have been banned or been the and used cartoons, many of The Appointment will also soon be available. complicated creature who can drive you crazy,’ subject of banning attempts. This year, which have appeared in The Age, Meanjin, Keep an eye on our shelves for these books. Sendak told Associated Press. ‘There’s a cruelty Penguin Australia noted Banned Books Week and the Sleepers Almanac. A centre piece will to childhood, there’s an anger. And I did not on its Facebook page, along with the fact that be a brand new cartoon Oslo’s done for Going TUESDAY want to reduce Max to the trite image of the 56 of the 100 titles on the ALA’s Banned-and- Down Swinging. This will be a great chance to good little boy that you find in too many Challenged-Classics list are available from PHILOSOPHY CLUB see (and buy) Oslo originals, prints and books.’ He told Jonze: ‘You have to just make Penguin. Ah, irony ... two weeks later, We meet at 11am every second and fourth rarely-seen sketches and cartoons. Opening something bold and not pander to children Australia Post proved that censorship of books Tuesday of the month at Readings Port 6pm, Thursday 19 November at Lamington and make something that’s as dangerous for is not, as we might imagine, something that Melbourne. Our topics for discussion vary Drive, 89 George St Fitzroy. Running until its time as the book was in its time.’ When the we in Australia can exclaim over from afar, or and are set by the members twice each year. December 23. www.lamingtondrive.com book was published, in 1963, it won the remember sagely. On 15 October, Crikey We welcome new members who have a pas- Caldecott medal, and went on to sell ten reported that two weeks earlier (ie. during sion for discussion and thought. For more million copies. It was controversial for its Banned Books Week), staff at 848 Australia A STYLISH BOOKER WIN information contact Greg on 96817441 or portrayal of childhood as a tempestuous Post outlets nationwide were ordered to pull As most readers will know by email [email protected]. rather than a whimsical place, and for its three Popular Penguin titles from their shelves now, Hilary Mantel won this frankly scary journey into the wilds of a child’s after ‘customer complaints’. The offending year’s Man Booker Prize for READINGS CHRISTMAS imagination (and back to real life, in time for books were Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, The Wolf Hall (Harper Collins, SHOPPING NIGHT tea). Sendak says Max ‘wouldn’t be invited to History of Sexuality by Michel Foucault and PB, $32.99), her story about Shop early for Christmas, enter the draw to Winnie the Pooh’s house – and if he had been, The Delta of Venus by Anais Nin (all Penguin, Henry VIII and Anne, told win an Annie’s Lane hamper, and save at the he wouldn’t have gone’. He told Newsweek PB, $9.95). Interestingly, though – as Crikey from the point of view of annual Readings Shopping Night. To thank that the sanitised world of Disney is ‘terrible’ pointed out – Lady Chatterley’s Lover (D.H. Thomas Cromwell. Post- you for your support throughout 2009 we for children and, asked what he’d say to Lawrence), another Popular Penguin, and the decision, Booker judge John Mullan declared are offering 20% off all full-priced books parents who complain the film Wild Things is subject of a famous 1960s ban in Australia, on the Guardian’s blog: ‘I love it not for its and CDs and 10% off all full-priced DVDs too scary, he says: ‘I would tell them to go to escaped censorship. An Australia Post subject, but its style … Mantel has not so currently in stock in all shops, except our new hell. That’s a question I will not tolerate.’ spokesperson told Crikey the books were much rewritten history as unstitched it, shop at the State Library. One night only: What a man! Dave Eggers, whose novelisation ‘inappropriate for a mainstream shop like returning the explanations that historians are Wednesday 25 November, 6–8pm. Subscrib- of the film is out this month (Wild Things, Australia Post’. Sigh. Here’s hoping the ban bound to offer to the sheer contingency of ers will be mailed the Summer Reading Guide Hamish Hamilton, HB, $35), recalls his first will entice some curious buyers into sampling human hunches and human reactions … by Friday 20 November, so get your Christ- experience of the book: ‘My mother thought the forbidden fruits of these bestselling Intellectually, its appeal is that it plays off mas shopping list ready for Shopping Night. I would love it, because I was that barbaric kid classics. our knowledge of this well-known story, so The Summer Reading Guide will be inserted in that Maurice was talking about – really hyper we know that such a brilliant novelist could The Age on Thursday 26 November. and wild. But it scared me, mainly because WIN NAUGHTY PENGUINS retell the same story any number of ways.’ of the nuances of the monsters. It just wasn't For your chance to win all three of the Popu- DECEmbER/JANUARY clear if they were good or bad, if they were lar Penguins Australia Post don't want you NOBEL WINNER HERTA READINGS MONTHLY going to eat Max or not.’ to read (or see on their shelves), courtesy of MULLER IN ENGLISH The December/January edition of Readings Penguin, simply answer this question: Which The works of Nobel Prize winner Herta Monthly will be inserted in The Age again READING THE READER Philip Roth novel was famously banned from Muller are making their way back into Eng- on Tuesday 8 December and will be mailed The Emerging Writers Festival has moved import or sale in Australia in 1969? Email lish following her win, as publishers move to only to regional and interstate customers on into publishing. The Reader (PB, $24.95), the your answer with ‘Naughty Penguins’ in the reprint editions of her work. Widely regarded Monday 23 November. first of what festival director David Ryding subject header and your name, addresss and a hopes will be an annual affair, is an impressive contact phone number in the email to clare. (and attractive) publication. It’s packed with [email protected]. engaging, entertaining and informative writ- ing about ... well ... writing. The 40-plus con- INKY AwaRDS tributors are a great mix, too, with recently The State Library of Victoria’s Centre for established writers like Steven Amsterdam (on Youth Literature has announced the shortlist workshops), Krissy Kneen (on ‘not writing for their annual awards, The Inkys. Longlists about sex’) and Kathy Charles (on shameless of ten Australian books and ten international self-promotion) alongside still ‘emerging’ and books are chosen by CYL staff, then a panel first-time writers.